donate

verb

do·​nate ˈdō-ˌnāt How to pronounce donate (audio)
dō-ˈnāt
donated; donating
Synonyms of donate

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 of donate

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Lionel Messi has donated €80,000 ($92,200) to the reconstruction efforts of Madrid’s Sierra Oeste region following devastating wildfires in the area. — Dan Kilpatrick, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026 Artist and curator Michelle Grabner has donated over 2000 pieces of artwork to the John Michael Kohler Arts Center (JMKAC) in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. — News Desk, Artforum, 4 Aug. 2026 Artist Michelle Grabner will donate more than 2,000 artworks to the John Michael Kohler Arts Center (JMKAC) in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, making the institution the most comprehensive repository of her work. — Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 3 Aug. 2026 With public stock, many employees can now donate the stock to a DAF without paying the capital gains tax. — Robert Frank, CNBC, 3 Aug. 2026 See 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

Phrases Containing donate

Rhymes for donate

See All Rhymes for donate

Browse Nearby Words

donatary
donate
donated stock
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Donate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/donate. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

donate

verb
do·​nate ˈdō-ˌnāt How to pronounce donate (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on donate

Nglish: Translation of donate for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of colloquial

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

How long is a jiffy?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All