donation

donation — noun

1. money, food, clothes, or other items that someone gives freely to support a pers

1.nounB1
Definition

money, food, clothes, or other items that someone gives freely to support a person, a group, or a cause they care about; also the process of giving things in this way

Example

The school received a donation of books from the local library.

collocation: receive a donation of [items]

Padma made a generous donation to the animal shelter last week.

collocation: make a donation to [institution]

Common collocations
  • make a donation
  • give a donation
  • receive a donation
  • collect donations
  • generous donation
  • small donation
  • large donation
  • monthly donation
  • cash donation
  • food donation
  • charitable donation
  • donation to [charity/organization]
  • donation of [money/food/clothes/books]
Synonyms
  • contribution

    Focuses on being part of a shared effort; often used for workplace fundraisers or group gifts.

  • gift

    Broader term — can be personal and non-charitable, not necessarily for a cause.

  • grant

    Usually a formal sum of money given by an institution (government, foundation) for a specific purpose.

Grammar Patterns

make/give + donation

donation + to + [institution]

donation + of + [items]

receive + donation

Usage Note

Countable noun — use with 'a' or in the plural. The word can refer either to the items given ('a food donation') or to the act of giving them ('the donation of food').

Common Mistakes

I gave a donation for the charity.
I gave a donation to the charity.
use 'to' to show the recipient.
She made a donation clothes.
She made a donation of clothes.
use 'of' to specify what is given.
Donation is important for society.
Donations are important for society.
'donation' is a countable noun; use the plural or add an article.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Donation, contribution, gift, and grant all refer to something given voluntarily, but they differ in context and scope. Donation is the most common word for money or goods given to a charity or a person in need, with an emphasis on helping. Contribution highlights being part of a collective effort — a contribution can be money, time, or ideas toward a shared goal (e.g., 'her contribution to the team project was invaluable'). Gift is the broadest term, covering anything given freely whether charitable or personal (a birthday gift). Grant is more formal and institutional: a sum of money given by a government, foundation, or research body for a defined purpose (e.g., 'the university received a research grant'). Use donation when the context is charitable giving to people or organizations in need.

contribution ↗gift ↗grant ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • in donation
  • by donation

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Donation comes from the Latin word 'donare', meaning 'to give as a gift'. It entered English through French in the 1400s, and has been used ever since for the act of giving money or goods to help others.