donation
Americannoun
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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
Related Words
See present 2.
Other Word Forms
- predonation noun
- self-donation noun
- superdonation noun
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
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.
Brain donation also does not interfere with funeral plans, allowing families to honor their loved ones while contributing to research that could lead to future breakthroughs.
From Science Daily • Apr. 8, 2026
Dr. David Amaral will be joined by Dr. Alycia Halladay, Chief Science Officer of the Autism Science Foundation, to answer questions about brain donation, including how to become a donor and what the process involves.
From Science Daily • Apr. 8, 2026
Under the new rules, that person wouldn’t be able to deduct $5,000 of their 2026 donation.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 6, 2026
Does a donation app’s ease foster giving or create further distance?
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026
And then there’s this odd tendency among donors to treat a fourth donation as something worthy of congratulations.
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.
