donation
Americannoun
-
donations
plural
-
an act or instance of presenting something as a gift, grant, or contribution.
-
a gift, as to a fund; contribution.
- Synonyms:
- gratuity, benefaction, offering
noun
-
the act of giving, esp to a charity
-
a contribution
Synonym Usage
See present 2.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of donation
1375–1425, for an earlier sense; late Middle English < Latin dōnātiōn- (stem of dōnātiō ), equivalent to dōnāt ( us ), past participle of dōnāre to give ( dōn-, stem of dōnum gift, + -ātus -ate 1 ) + -iōn- -ion
Explanation
A donation is a gift someone gives to a cause they believe in. If you have ever put a dollar into a collection plate or hat, you have made a donation. No one has to give a donation; donations are voluntary. In addition to disease research, many schools, arts groups, museums, churches, and groups that help the poor rely on donations. Donations usually take the form of money, but giving anything away to a cause could be considered a donation — like giving books to a library or bringing deviled eggs to a school potluck.
Vocabulary lists containing donation
An Explanation of Herd Immunity from "On Immunity" by Eula Biss
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This Week In Words: Current Events Vocab for January 9–15, 2021
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Boxing Day
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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:
They have no legal ability to stop the donation.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 6, 2026
"It costs you nothing, but we'll expect a donation," he said.
From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2026
Brockman said at the time he had made the donation in a personal capacity, but OpenAI employees criticized the move as an attempt by the company’s leadership to thwart sensible AI regulations.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026
Then they would feel more informed—and thus more decisive—when they are finally asked for a donation.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026
He was being brought in after a donation.
From "Never Let Me Go" by Kazuo Ishiguro
“It’s pretty clear Congress intended it to be cash donations going in,” he said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026
Mark Iwry, a former senior Treasury official who led national retirement policy in the Clinton and Obama administrations, said auto-enrollment marks a major improvement but that stock donations raise potential concerns.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026
However, police concluded that Archer, in fact, had received very little of the donations himself.
From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026
The general donations, from the Dells and others, are uncapped.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026
It was after that day, jokes about donations faded away, and we started to think properly about things.
From "Never Let Me Go" by Kazuo Ishiguro
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.
