donate
Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
donatesimple
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donatessimple
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have donatedperfect
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has donatedperfect
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am donatingprogressive
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are donatingprogressive
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is donatingprogressive
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have been donatingperfect progressive
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has been donatingperfect progressive
Past
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donatedsimple
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had donatedperfect
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was donatingprogressive
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were donatingprogressive
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had been donatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of donate
1775–85, probably back formation from donation
Explanation
To donate means to give something — money, goods, or time — to some cause, such as a charity. The word has a more altruistic meaning than does simply "giving"; it suggests that you don't expect anything in return for the contribution. The verb donate has always meant "to give," all the way back to the Latin verb donāre, "to give as a gift." Trace it back even further, to the ancient Indo-European roots, and you still have that same feeling to the word — "a gift." But it's more than a gift — it's a gift with the intention of helping. As an African proverb says, "If everybody in town donates one thread, the poor man has a shirt."
Vocabulary lists containing donate
Giving Words
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Michelle Obama's Speech at the 2016 DNC
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This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for October 15–October 21, 2022
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
With the support of coach Jason Bornn, the team will set up tables in the parking lot for people to donate and drop off items.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
"When we donate, we believe the money is going for God's work," he said.
From Barron's ● Jul. 19, 2026
June 2010: The Giving Pledge is launched, aimed at getting the world’s richest people to donate most of their wealth.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
Melinda French Gates resigned in 2024 from the foundation she co-founded and said that she would donate $1bn to help women's rights in the US.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
Their discovery: when people are given a small stipend for donating blood rather than simply being praised for their altruism, they tend to donate less blood.
From "Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything" by Steven D. Levitt
Betting is strictly regulated and the main, state-owned operator Norsk Tipping donates 64% , externalof its proceeds to sporting purposes, with the main distribution going towards facilities in the country.
From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026
Plus, BlackRock donates $100 million to train trade workers and a billion-dollar AI startup founded by teenagers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 11, 2026
A millionaire who donates $30,000 this year is able to cut $11,100 from their taxes, the Fidelity Charitable spokesperson said.
From MarketWatch ● Dec. 1, 2025
In court papers, they describe him as a devoted father of two and an entrepreneur who owns a trucking company, manages a restaurant and donates time and money to charity.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 10, 2025
Technically, they’re the property of the dinosaur dig, but Wexford-Smythe University donates them to the project.
From "Linked" by Gordon Korman
The researchers examined both the animal models and tissue donated by patients.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 26, 2026
Coxe and his wife, Simone Coxe, own properties in California and Texas and have donated to political campaigns, including 2022 Texas gubernatorial hopeful Beto O’Rourke, a Democrat.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
Qatar's royal family donated the luxury airliner last year after Trump complained about the state of the two aging jets that have served as the US presidential plane since 1990.
From Barron's ● Jul. 20, 2026
A signed print by the British artist David Hockney has sold for more than £41,000 after being found in a book donated to a charity shop.
From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2026
Back in his bedroom, Oliver pulled on the arm warmers that Hyacinth had made for him and took out the donated gifts from his friends.
From "The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street" by Karina Yan Glaser
Other protocols promoted by influencers without medical evidence have included certain supplements, red light therapy, and donating blood to "filter out" microplastics.
From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026
The law also authorized the pilot program donating the $1,000 seed money to eligible children.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 6, 2026
Kerlis Artigas, 30, is a physician who came from another state as part of the "Pink Brigade," a team of medical specialists and students caring for the injured and donating much-needed medication.
From Barron's ● Jul. 1, 2026
The Dodgers followed through on a pledge made a year ago, donating $1.1 million to two foundations supporting those impacted by immigration raids in the Southland.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 25, 2026
I once considered donating my bed to the museum, but Mr. Untermyer gave them this one first.
From "From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler" by E.L. Konigsburg
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
