English Reference

Word

dana

Phoneticsdana

/ˈdeɪnə/

Definitions

01religious generosity

C1 · Religion

n. the act of giving to others or being generous, especially in religions like Buddhism or Hinduism.

n. the practice of cultivating generosity or almsgiving in Indian philosophical and religious traditions.

“The monks rely on the daily dana of the local community for their food.”

“In many Buddhist traditions, the practice of dana is considered the first step toward spiritual development and the overcoming of greed.”

Technical

Usage

Often used as an uncountable noun in a philosophical context.

Synonyms

charityalmsgivinggenerosity

Antonyms

02a person's name

A1

n. a common first name for a person, often used for women but sometimes for men.

n. a common unisex given name, though more frequently feminine in modern usage.

“Dana is starting her new job at the hospital next Monday.”

“The department head, Dana Miller, requested a full audit of the quarterly expenses before the board meeting.”

Usage

Capitalized as a proper noun.

Etymology

Of uncertain origin. Possibly from Dawnay, or else an altered form of Dan or Daniel.

Transliterations from various languages.

Borrowed from Polish Dana.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry

Level
A1 · Beginner
Frequency
Frequent
Updated

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English Reference