tithe
Americannoun
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tithes
plural
-
Sometimes tithes. the tenth part of agricultural produce or personal income set apart as an offering to God or for works of mercy, or the same amount regarded as an obligation or tax for the support of the church, priesthood, or the like.
-
any tax, levy, or the like, especially of one-tenth.
-
a tenth part or any indefinitely small part of anything.
verb (used with object)
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tithes,
present (3rd person singular)
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tithed,
past participle, past
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tithing
present participle
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to give or pay a tithe or tenth of (produce, money, etc.).
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to give or pay tithes on (crops, income, etc.).
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to exact a tithe from (a person, community, parish, etc.).
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to levy a tithe on (crops, income, etc.).
verb (used without object)
-
tithes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
tithed,
past participle, past
-
tithing
present participle
noun
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(often plural) Christianity a tenth part of agricultural or other produce, personal income, or profits, contributed either voluntarily or as a tax for the support of the church or clergy or for charitable purposes
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any levy, esp of one tenth
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a tenth or very small part of anything
verb
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(tr)
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to exact or demand a tithe or tithes from (an individual or group)
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to levy a tithe upon (a crop or amount of produce, etc)
-
-
(intr) to pay a tithe or tithes
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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tithesimple
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tithessimple
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have tithedperfect
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has tithedperfect
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am tithingprogressive
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are tithingprogressive
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is tithingprogressive
-
have been tithingperfect progressive
-
has been tithingperfect progressive
Past
-
tithedsimple
-
had tithedperfect
-
was tithingprogressive
-
were tithingprogressive
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had been tithingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of tithe
First recorded before 900; (for the noun) Middle English ti(ghe)the, Old English teogotha tenth; (for the verb) Middle English tithen, Old English teogothian “to take the tenth of,” derivative of the noun
Explanation
To tithe is to make a contribution equal to one-tenth of your income, usually to a church or religious institution. Devout church-goers usually tithe, even in years when their finances are very tight. Tithe comes from the Old English word teogotha, which means “tenth.” To tithe is to relinquish one-tenth of your personal income, either as a mandatory contribution, a voluntary donation, or as a levy. In ancient times farmers were required to tithe a portion of their crops. You may suspect that some of the wealthiest members of your church don’t really tithe as expected.
Vocabulary lists containing tithe
The Pearl
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Liberty, Equality, Vocabulary: The French Revolution
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"A Modest Proposal," Vocabulary from the satire
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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:
About 31% said they give a full tithe, and 19% said they donate more than 10% of their earnings.
From Washington Times ● Apr. 26, 2023
People produced what they were going to consume, and surplus went to the lord or the church as a mandatory tax, usually 10 percent, called the tithe.
From Textbooks ● Apr. 19, 2023
To this day, Latter-day Saints are expected to meet with local bishops every year and state that they have paid a full tithe.
From Salon ● Mar. 29, 2023
"I remember one time at the church a lady said: 'I have been paying my tithe, and it seems like I still don't have enough money at the end of the month.'"
From BBC ● Mar. 11, 2023
I talked straight through the night, and he silently took my confes sions, maledictions, as though he were some font of blessing at which I might leave a final belated tithe.
From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee
That includes tithes; regular donations amounting to 10% of a person’s income expected from members of the church.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 1, 2023
There were also quarrels over cash, Ms. Kahindi’s daughter said, adding that Mr. Mackenzie was suspected of pocketing tithes.
From New York Times ● May 14, 2023
Where Christians believe tithes can go is also changing.
From Washington Times ● Apr. 26, 2023
Leaders would sometimes demand to see members’ pay stubs and sit on members’ porches until they arrived home to collect their tithes before Sunday evening was over, the suits allege.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 28, 2023
Why, others asked, should all their tithes go to helping strangers, to the extent of building a room to feed them supper?
From "Enrique's Journey" by Sonia Nazario
On top of retirement, they also saved 10% of their take-home income for emergencies and future expenses, and tithed an additional 10% to their church.
From MarketWatch ● May 15, 2026
“The parish treasurer was really excited because I tithed my winnings, so that was a nice plus for the bottom line of the parish,” Sibley says.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 5, 2024
It’s difficult to figure out the percentages in Puerto Rico, although most people are tithed, so to speak, to the United States.
From Slate ● Oct. 16, 2017
People drove up at sundown, tithed by purchasing a ticket and “worshiped” collectively in front of the huge outdoor screen.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 12, 2016
Mint, anise, and cummin were scrupulously tithed; but the weightier matters of the law—judgment, mercy and faith—were altogether neglected and forgotten.
From Old Wine and New Occasional Discourses by Joseph Cross
Televangelists such as Jimmy Swaggart, Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker, and Kenneth Copeland were preaching fire and brimstone and the importance of tithing.
From Slate ● Feb. 21, 2025
According to the affidavit, Jiang had been a member of the church since April and had given the church a donation of more than $450 in June as part of a tithing challenge.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 27, 2024
By the time Caviezel interrupts the end credits to comfort the audience and pass the tithing plate, even I felt primed to chip in for his earnestness.
From Salon ● Jul. 22, 2023
Lifeway Research released on Tuesday results from a September poll showing that 77% of churchgoers say tithing “is a biblical command that still applies today,” down 6 percentage points from a 2017 survey.
From Washington Times ● Apr. 26, 2023
Rader was in charge of the $70-million-a-year windfall that the Church was bringing in, mostly from tithing its members.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
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.
