Definition

1. Verb:
   • To give something, especially money or goods, voluntarily to a person or organization, typically for a charitable purpose or to support a cause. The act of donating is usually done without expecting anything in return and is intended to benefit others or support a specific need.

Usage

• General Use: The verb "donate" is used to describe the act of giving something, most commonly money, blood, organs, clothes, or time, to help a person, group, or institution. It implies a voluntary and often charitable contribution.
• Grammar: It is a transitive verb and typically requires a direct object (what is given) and can be followed by a prepositional phrase starting with "to" (the recipient).
  • Structure: Subject + donate + [object] + (to + recipient).

Examples

• Verb:
  • She decided to donate her old books to the local library.
  • Many people donate to food banks during the holidays.
  • He has pledged to donate a portion of his salary to medical research.

Advanced Usage

• "Donate to": This is the standard construction for specifying the recipient of the donation.
  • Corporations often donate to educational foundations.
• "Donate toward(s)": Used to specify the purpose or fund for which the donation is intended.
  • We are collecting money to donate toward the new community center.

Variants and Related Words

• Donation (n): The thing that is given or the act of giving it.
  • They made a generous donation to the hospital.
• Donor (n): A person or organization that donates something.
  • The blood donor saved three lives.

Synonyms

• Contribute: To give (money, time, or resources) for a common purpose. (Often used interchangeably, though "contribute" can imply being part of a collective effort.)
• Give: A more general term for transferring something to someone without payment.
• Grant: To give something formally or legally, often a sum of money.

Antonyms

• Withhold: To refuse to give something.
• Keep: To retain possession of something.

Related Phrases

• To donate blood/organs: A specific, common collocation for giving biological material to help others.
  • It is a noble act to donate blood.
• To donate one's time: To volunteer or give time instead of money or goods.
  • She donates her time tutoring students every weekend.

Verb

1. give to a charity or good cause
   • I donated blood to the Red Cross for the victims of the earthquake
   • donate money to the orphanage
   • She donates to her favorite charity every month