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 was hired to run the Harvard Management Co., as the endowment is known, in 2016 and was charged with turning around Harvard’s endowment as its fourth CEO in a decade.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 16, 2026
It closed last year after its endowment came to an end.
From Los Angeles Times • May 6, 2026
The fund, to be called Canada Strong Fund, would start with an endowment of 25 billion Canadian dollars, or the equivalent of US$18.3 billion.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 27, 2026
According to the linguistic school currently on top, human beings are all born with a genetic endowment for recognizing and formulating language.
From "The Lives of a Cell" by Lewis Thomas
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.
