donor

noun

do·​nor ˈdō-nər 

-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

Synonyms

• donator
• benefactor
• contributor
• patron

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

His conviction stemmed from a series of criminal schemes, including submitting false campaign finance documents, misusing donor identities to route funds for personal and campaign use, and providing fraudulent information to the New York State Department of Labor and the House of Representatives. —Jordan King, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Oct. 2025

Prosecutors and the media had unwound a web of lies from Santos over the years, including illegally spending donor money, lying about being Jewish, and fabricating his resume. —Ross O'Keefe, The Washington Examiner, 18 Oct. 2025

The New York Republican was sentenced in April after admitting last year to deceiving donors and stealing the identities of 11 people — including his own family members — to make donations to his campaign. —Philip Marcelo, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2025

In the past, Ogles has spoken about his strategy of keeping campaign operations lean while redirecting donors to super PACs that later made independent expenditures supporting his campaign. —Vivian Jones, Nashville Tennessean, 17 Oct. 2025

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

Phrases Containing donor

• donor card
• sperm donor
• universal donor

Rhymes for donor

• kroner
• kronor
• loner
• owner
• stoner
• toner
• homeowner
• landowner
• shipowner

Kids Definition

donor

noun

do·​nor ˈdō-nər 

-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

do·​nor ˈdō-nər  -ˌnȯ(ə)r 

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

do·​nor ˈdō-nər, -ˌnȯr 

: one that gives, donates, grants, or confers something

specifically : settlor