giving

giving — noun

1. the act of offering money, presents, or other material goods to people who need

1.nounB1
Definition

the act of offering money, presents, or other material goods to people who need them, especially as a form of charity or on special occasions such as birthdays and holidays.

Example

The community's charitable giving helped the Tanaka family rebuild their home after the fire.

collocation: charitable giving

Salma's giving to the food bank ensured dozens of families had meals during the winter.

Common collocations
  • charitable giving
  • generous giving
  • giving drive
  • giving campaign
  • giving season
  • anonymous giving
Synonyms
  • donation

    refers to the actual item or money given, not the act

  • charity

    broader concept of helping those in need, often via organisations

  • generosity

    focuses on the quality of being willing to give, rather than the act itself

Antonyms
  • hoarding

    keeping things for oneself instead of giving to others

  • selfishness

    putting one's own needs first, unwilling to share

Grammar Patterns

giving + of + concrete noun (money, presents, clothes)

Usage Note

Often modified by adjectives like 'charitable', 'generous', or 'anonymous'. Frequently appears in compounds such as 'giving drive' or 'giving season'.

Common Mistakes

She made a giving of money to the hospital.
She made a gift of money to the hospital.
'giving' as a noun is uncountable and rarely used with the indefinite article 'a'.

2. the act of sharing knowledge, opinions, or instructions with another person, typ

2.nounB2
Definition

the act of sharing knowledge, opinions, or instructions with another person, typically in a professional or helpful context.

Example

The supervisor's clear giving of directions saved the team hours of confusion.

giving + of + abstract noun for imparting information

Amelia's giving of feedback was always constructive because she focused on solutions, not problems.

Common collocations
  • giving of advice
  • giving of information
  • giving of instructions
  • giving feedback
  • giving directions
Synonyms
  • imparting

    more formal; suggests sharing knowledge or wisdom

  • provision

    formal; emphasises making something available

  • communication

    broader; covers any exchange of information

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

giving + of + abstract noun (advice, information, instructions)

Usage Note

More common in formal or written English than in everyday conversation. In casual speech, the verb form ('He gave us directions') is preferred over the noun form ('His giving of directions'). Distinguish from sense 1: sense 1 involves material goods; sense 2 involves non-material transfers of knowledge.

Common Mistakes

Her giving of the present was thoughtful.
The giving of her present was thoughtful.
with a direct object like 'present', use the possessive form of the giver ('her') before 'giving'.

giving — adjective

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

These four words all describe a willingness to give, but they differ in scope and register. 'Generous' is the broadest and most common term — it can refer to giving money, time, praise, or emotional support, and it works in both formal and casual settings ('a generous tip', 'generous with her time'). 'Charitable' is more specific: it relates to helping people in need, often through organised donations or volunteer work ('charitable contributions', 'a charitable foundation'). 'Selfless' shifts the focus from the act of giving to the motivation behind it — a selfless person puts others' needs ahead of their own, even at personal sacrifice. 'Benevolent' is the most formal of the four; it describes someone who is kind and giving by nature, often in a position of power or authority ('a benevolent ruler', 'benevolent leadership'). In everyday conversation, 'generous' and 'giving' are nearly interchangeable, while 'benevolent' would sound overly formal.

generous ↗charitable ↗selflessbenevolent

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • giving drive
  • giving campaign
  • giving season
  • giving back

Prepositions

Etymology

Proto-Indo-EuropeanProto-GermanicOld EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word 'giving' comes from the Old English verb 'giefan' (to give, bestow, grant), which can be traced back through Proto-Germanic '*gebaną' to the Proto-Indo-European root '*ghabh-' (to give or to receive). The modern form 'giving' developed in Middle English as the present participle and gerund of 'give'. By the late Middle English period, 'giving' was already used as both a noun (the act of giving) and an adjective (characterised by generosity), reflecting the same dual use we see today.