donor

noun

do·​nor ˈdō-nər How to pronounce donor (audio)
-ˌnȯr
1
: one that gives, donates, or presents something
2
: one used as a source of biological material (such as blood or an organ)
3
a
: a compound capable of giving up a part (such as an atom, chemical group, or subatomic particle) for combination with an acceptor
b
: an impurity added to a semiconductor to increase the number of mobile electrons

Examples of donor in a Sentence

The money was raised from individual donors. She is one of the charity's major donors.
Recent Examples on the Web Armstrong didn’t name any California Senate candidates, instead directing voters to a guide prepared by Stand With Crypto, which, as a political 501(c)4 nonprofit organization, is not required to disclose its donors. Laura J. Nelson, Los Angeles Times, 14 Mar. 2024 While Denmark, like other European countries, for years missed the alliance’s target, the Nordic nation has emerged as one of the biggest donors to Ukraine and has over the past two years increased military spending in several steps. Sanne Wass, Fortune Europe, 13 Mar. 2024 Politicians at the time often returned money from openly gay donors. Trip Gabriel, New York Times, 12 Mar. 2024 Citing the same donor and sponsorship woes faced by the rest of the industry, CPR CEO Stewart Vanderwilt said that the cuts were necessary to put the station on better financial footing. Ariel Shapiro, The Verge, 12 Mar. 2024 On January 26, Israel presented evidence indicating that at least 12 UN Relief and Works Agency workers partook in the October 7 massacre, causing an uproar among UN members and major donor states, leading some of them to suspend their funding. Amos Yadlin, Foreign Affairs, 8 Mar. 2024 For the food bank, the downturn in donations was compounded by the deaths of four major donors last year, Reiber said. The Enquirer, 3 Mar. 2024 Opponents of the recall have been quick to label its organizers as carpetbaggers, citing January’s campaign finance report that showed a slew of Republican donors who reside outside Ward 6 contributing. Andrew Trunsky, New York Times, 2 Mar. 2024 Now, the leading Republican presidential candidate in 2024 could end up heavily indebted to a bank, donor, or some other source of capital. Kara Scannell, CNN, 1 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'donor.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English donoure, from Anglo-French doneur, from Latin donator, from donare

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of donor was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near donor

Cite this Entry

“Donor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/donor. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

donor

noun
do·​nor ˈdō-nər How to pronounce donor (audio)
-ˌnȯr
1
: one that donates
2
: one used as a source of bodily material or parts
a blood donor
a kidney donor

Medical Definition

donor

noun
1
: one used as a source of biological material (as blood or an organ)
2
: a compound capable of giving up a part (as an atom, chemical group, or elementary particle) for combination with an acceptor

Legal Definition

donor

noun
: one that gives, donates, grants, or confers something
specifically : settlor

More from Merriam-Webster on donor

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