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
: to make a donation
Synonyms
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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 candidatesHe donates some of his free time to volunteer work.See More
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Last year, 21,300 square feet of signage was reused and 243 tons of building material donated to local organizations.—Candace Oehler, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2025In the midst of donating to the BLM movement, many brands also took the initiative (if not for public pressure) to revise their own hiring ethics and commit to more inclusive hiring, to reflect the diverse consumer market with fairer representation.—Sheilla Mamona, refinery29.com, 18 Feb. 2025The volunteer band of gardeners has donated time and energy to keep the Village looking great.—Anne Gelhaus, The Mercury News, 18 Feb. 2025In response to the rising crime and limited resources to investigate, the state beekeepers association has partnered with the Pipkin Detective Agency, a private firm that specializes in agricultural crime, which has donated 50 hours toward investigating hive thefts.—Jake Goodrick, Sacramento Bee, 18 Feb. 2025See all Example Sentences for donate
Word History
Etymology
back-formation from donation
First Known Use
1785, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of donate was in 1785
See more words from the same year
Phrases Containing donate
Articles Related to donate
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