donate

verb

do·​nate ˈdō-ˌnāt 

dō-ˈnāt

donated; donating

transitive verb

1

: to make a gift of

especially : to contribute to a public or charitable cause

2

: to transfer (a particle, such as an electron) to another atom or molecule

intransitive verb

: to make a donation

Synonyms of donate

• volunteer
• contribute
• give

Choose the Right Synonym for donate

give, present, donate, bestow, confer, afford mean to convey to another as a possession.

give, the general term, is applicable to any passing over of anything by any means.

give alms

gave her a ride on a pony

give my love to your mother

present carries a note of formality and ceremony.

present an award

donate is likely to imply a publicized giving (as to charity).

donate a piano to the orphanage

bestow implies the conveying of something as a gift and may suggest condescension on the part of the giver.

bestow unwanted advice

confer implies a gracious giving (as of a favor or honor).

confer an honorary degree

afford implies a giving or bestowing usually as a natural or legitimate consequence of the character of the giver.

the trees afford shade

a development that affords us some hope

Examples of donate in a Sentence

The computers were donated by local companies.

We donated our old clothes to charity.

people who donate money to political candidates

He donates some of his free time to volunteer work.

Everyone is encouraged to donate.

People are encouraged to donate blood.

Please sign this form if you would like to donate your organs when you die.

You can donate at the blood bank every eight weeks.

Recent Examples on the Web

Mickey Rourke says fans who donated to a GoFundMe to keep him from getting evicted should get their money back. —Jennifer Zhan, Vulture, 6 Jan. 2026

Sign up to donate monthly through The Lunch Club. —Bay Area News Group, Mercury News, 6 Jan. 2026

Dozens of the more than 2,700 people who donated posted messages about how much the actor’s films had meant to them over the years. —Assistant Editor, Los Angeles Times, 6 Jan. 2026

The boycott led to enough withdrawals that PEN’s Jean Stein Award went unawarded for two years and the prize money was instead donated to the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund. —James Folta, Literary Hub, 6 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

back-formation from donation

First Known Use

1785, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Phrases Containing donate

• donate/give blood

Rhymes for donate

• abate
• airfreight
• await
• baseplate
• berate
• birthdate
• birthrate
• bookplate
• borate
• breastplate
• bromate
• casemate

Kids Definition

donate

verb

do·​nate ˈdō-ˌnāt 

dō-ˈnāt

donated; donating

: to make a gift of : contribute

donate blood

donator

-ˌnāt-ər, 

-ˈnāt-

noun

Legal Definition

donate

verb

do·​nate

donated; donating

transitive verb

: to transfer by a gift or donation

intransitive verb

: to make a donation compare give, sell