Definition

Noun (plural in form, often used with a singular verb) 1. Money, food, or other donations given freely to relieve the needs of the poor and needy. The word refers to charitable gifts motivated by compassion or religious duty.

Usage

• The word is plural in form (ending in 's') but can be used with either a plural or singular verb, depending on whether it refers to the act or the items.
• It is typically used in formal, literary, or historical contexts, often associated with religious charity.
• Common collocations include:

Examples

• Noun:
  • The monastery distributed alms to the villagers every Friday.
  • In many traditions, it is a sacred duty to give alms.
  • She begged for alms outside the temple gates.

Advanced Usage

• "to live on alms": to depend on charity for survival.
  • After losing everything, the family was forced to live on alms.
• "alms-giving" (noun): the act of giving to the poor (Note: This is a related compound word, not the target word itself).
  • Alms-giving is one of the five pillars of Islam.

Variants and Related Words

• Almoner (noun): a person who distributes alms or charity, especially historically.
  • The king's almoner was responsible for charitable distributions.
• Almshouse (noun): a house founded by charity for the poor, especially in historical contexts.
  • The old almshouse has been converted into a museum.

Synonyms

• Charity: Money or help given to those in need.
• Donation: Something given to a cause, especially a sum of money.
• Handout: An amount of money or food given to a needy person (can sometimes have a negative connotation).

Related Idioms and Phrases

• "To give alms in secret": To donate to charity anonymously, without seeking praise.
  • He believed in giving alms in secret, so no one knew of his generosity.

Noun

1. money or goods contributed to the poor