# give back

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/give-back
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To contribute money, goods, or, especially, services for charitable purposes, as if in return for one's own success.

## Examples

- Successful people often give back to their local community.
- After selling his company, he decided to give back by funding scholarships for students in need.
- Having achieved significant professional success, she felt a moral obligation to give back to the society that had fostered her early growth.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.