donate
Americanverb (used with object)
-
donates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
donated,
past participle, past
-
donating
present participle
verb (used without object)
-
donates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
donated,
past participle, past
-
donating
present participle
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
donatesimple
-
donatessimple
-
have donatedperfect
-
has donatedperfect
-
am donatingprogressive
-
are donatingprogressive
-
is donatingprogressive
-
have been donatingperfect progressive
-
has been donatingperfect progressive
Past
-
donatedsimple
-
had donatedperfect
-
was donatingprogressive
-
were donatingprogressive
-
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:
Before his death, he expressed a wish to donate his brain to scientific research.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 15, 2026
Details of how to donate and show your support for the Children in Need 2026 challenge will be revealed in the coming weeks.
From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026
Be specific with where you offer the items you no longer want, whether it is for sale or to donate.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 8, 2026
The country singer also asked fans to donate to the Young Center for Immigrant Rights, which helps children whose parents have faced deportations, during the opening night of her tour in Chicago back in August.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026
"I mean, I'd like to give you something pretty. I was going to donate some clothes to the war effort and thought I'd give you the first choice before I do."
From "What the Night Sings" by Vesper Stamper
The store donates a portion of proceeds to local cat rescues, such as Kitten Rescue Los Angeles, Northeast L.A.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 7, 2026
The family foundation regularly donates to refugee organizations.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 9, 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
“I read them in the hospital sometimes, when there’s nothing else. It’s so dumb. They think all kids read comics, so they have them in the ward. Somebody donates them.”
From "Firegirl" by Tony Abbott
On Monday the Wall Street Journal reported that only days after being indicted for embezzlement, a fugitive donated $25,000 to the attorney general.
From Salon ● Oct. 15, 2026
The researchers were able to investigate this question using brain tissue donated by a former Alzheimer's clinical trial participant.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 15, 2026
Kalshi donated $2 million to the National Council on Problem Gambling.
From Barron's ● Oct. 8, 2026
Patrick Graff of the American Federation for Children says this could add $75 billion to the $188 billion he estimates could be donated nationally at $1,700 if everyone gave their full credit-eligible amount.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
It’s still hidden in the laundry bag beneath my “anonymously” donated new collection of underclothes.
From "Code Name Verity" by Elizabeth Wein
Fathom partnered with a mental health service, Beyond Blue, donating half of the revenue from ticket sales and merchandise.
From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026
Such agents help reactions proceed by accepting or donating electrons, but some can be hazardous to handle and generate unwanted waste.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 12, 2026
Carnegie Mellon University announced Wednesday that Ken Griffin, the CEO of hedge-fund firm Citadel, is donating $3 billion to the school, the largest individual gift in higher-education history.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 30, 2026
Kao and his team settled on donating scholarships to women in STEM.
From Salon ● Sep. 23, 2026
We started donating a portion of every harvest to Miriam’s Kitchen, a local nonprofit that served the homeless.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
