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

• bestow
• contribute
• give
• give away
• present
• volunteer

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

The two entities set a goal of raising $175,000, and said fundraising information and ways to donate will be posted in the near future. —Claudia Levens, Journal Sentinel, 19 Apr. 2024

Still, not every patient will have a sibling or parent or child who can donate. —Sarah Zhang, The Atlantic, 18 Apr. 2024

Another is Buddha’s birthday, May 23, when monks will carry sacred relics of Buddha on chariots, and people will decorate their homes with flowers and donate to those in need. —Hari Kumar, New York Times, 17 Apr. 2024

Tickets include food, alcohol, tax and gratuity, and all ticket profits will be donated to Wildcoast. —The San Diego Union-Tribune Staff, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Apr. 2024

The founder of Storage Express donated a record-breaking $13.5 million to his Republican mayoral campaign and took over television and digital airways with campaign ads, but still lost the November election by 20 percentage points. —Brittany Carloni, The Indianapolis Star, 17 Apr. 2024

Padilla donated $1,000 to Liccardo’s campaign and was Liccardo’s finance director in his mayoral campaign. —Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2024

The Bidens also donated $1,000 to Ebenezer Baptist Church. —Fritz Farrow, ABC News, 15 Apr. 2024

The Deputy Sheriffs’ Association of San Diego County has donated to prior central committee campaigns — but those contributions generally were limited to $10,000, records show. —Jeff McDonald, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Apr. 2024

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

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