noun
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the source of income with which an institution, etc, is endowed
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the income itself
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the act or process of endowing
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(usually plural) natural talents or qualities
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of endowment
First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English, from Anglo-French endowement; equivalent to endow + -ment
Explanation
An endowment is a gift. It might be money given to an institution like a college. Or, an endowment might be a natural gift, say of a physical attribute or a talent. If you lack the endowment of musical talent, you could play the tambourine. To endow means "to give or bequeath," and the background of the word endowment goes back to the 15th Century, where it was used to refer to money or property that is given to an institution. An example can be found in the National Endowment for the Arts, an organization dedicated to providing grants to fund artistic endeavors. Your natural endowments — speed, agility, endurance — make you an excellent soccer player. If only you could wake up in time for practice.
Vocabulary lists containing endowment
Giving Words
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The Federalist Papers, No. 10 by James Madison
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The Glass Menagerie
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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.
At the time of Narvekar’s arrival, the then-$35.7 billion endowment managed 40% of its assets internally, operating as a giant investment firm with teams of specialized staffers investing in distinct areas, like real estate.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 16, 2026
Narvekar led Columbia’s endowment from 2002 to 2016.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 16, 2026
Hollein said he and the Lauder family began quietly fundraising two weeks ago for an endowment to pay for the ongoing upkeep of the museum, officially known as the Met Ronald S. Lauder Neue Galerie.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 14, 2026
It closed last year after its endowment came to an end.
From Los Angeles Times • May 6, 2026
Baker & Inglis, with an impressive physical plant but a small endowment, wasn’t averse to increasing enrollment.
From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides
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.
