endowment

[en-dou-muhnt]

noun

1. the act of endowing.

2. the property, funds, etc., with which an institution or person is endowed.

   Synonyms: bequest, grant, gift

3. Usually endowments. an attribute of mind or body; a gift of nature.

   Synonyms: ability, talent, capacity, capability

endowment

/ ɪnˈdaʊmənt /

noun

1. 1. the source of income with which an institution, etc, is endowed

   2. the income itself

2. the act or process of endowing

3. (usually plural) natural talents or qualities

Other Word Forms

• nonendowment noun
• reendowment noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of endowment¹

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English, from Anglo-French endowement; equivalent to endow + -ment

Example Sentences

With a modest current endowment of around $20 million, the Palm Springs Art Museum has long faced daunting financial hurdles.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Beware the “endowment effect,” said Joshua Becker, founder of the website Becoming Minimalist.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Its endowment was virtually nonexistent and money was so tight a former director mowed the lawn himself.

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As I’ve pointed out before, small investors aren’t positioned like giant institutions such as universities, charitable endowments and big pension plans.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

But in 2022, when endowments declined at almost all of the 10 schools tracked by Markov, UChicago still ranked near the bottom.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• bequest 
• donation 
• fund 
• funding www.thesaurus.com
• grant 
• income 
• inheritance 
• largess www.thesaurus.com
• nest egg 
• pension 
• revenue 
• stipend 
• subsidy 
• trust