endow

verb

en·​dow in-ˈdau̇ 

en-

endowed; endowing; endows

transitive verb

1

: to furnish with an income

especially : to make a grant of money providing for the continuing support or maintenance of

endow a hospital

2

: to furnish with a dower

3

: to provide with something freely or naturally

endowed with a good sense of humor

Synonyms of endow

• gift
• bless
• equip

Examples of endow in a Sentence

The wealthy couple endowed a new wing of the hospital.

She plans to endow a faculty position at the university.

The money will be used to endow the museum and research facility.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adding a second fungus that naturally produces melanin endowed the textile with ultraviolet protection. — Sam MacDonald, Scientific American, 24 July 2026

The catharsis of moments like this—and the unpredictability with which they’re deployed—endows Oen Sujet’s music with delight worth chasing, but the climb doesn’t always feel equal to the drop. — Maxie Younger, Pitchfork, 24 July 2026

So does the king’s loyal swineherd, Eumaeus (John Leguizamo), who, in this telling, has gone blind and is thus endowed with near-Tiresian powers of perception. — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 17 July 2026

The gift also includes a $45 million donation to endow Yeager-Crasselt’s position and to fund a wing named for the donor, which will be designed by Annabelle Selldorf, an in-demand architect among arts institutions. — Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 16 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French endower, from en- + dower, douer to endow, from Latin dotare, from dot-, dos gift, dowry — more at date

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Phrases Containing endow

• re-endow

Rhymes for endow

• allow
• avow
• chiao
• eyebrow
• highbrow
• lanao
• meow
• powwow
• somehow
• anyhow
• carabao
• disallow

Kids Definition

endow

verb

en·​dow in-ˈdau̇ 

1

: to provide with money for support or maintenance

2

: to furnish with something freely or naturally

humans are endowed with reason

Legal Definition

endow

transitive verb

en·​dow in-ˈdau̇ 

: to furnish with income

especially : to make a grant of money providing for the continuing support or maintenance of

a scholarship endowed by the testator

Etymology

Anglo-French endower, from Old French en-, prefix stressing completion + douer to endow, from Latin dotare, from dot-, dos gift, dowry