Word
donate
Phoneticsdo·nate, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈdoʊˌneɪt/
UK/dəʊnˈeɪt/
Definitions
01to give to charity
B1 · Intermediate
v. to give something of value, like money or clothes, to help a charity or a person in need.
v. to provide money, goods, or services to a charitable organisation or cause without expecting payment.
“Every year, the family donates their old clothes to the local shelter.”
“The anonymous benefactor chose to donate a significant portion of his estate to the university's medical research department.”
Usage
Usually follows the pattern 'donate something to someone/something'.
Pitfall
He donated the charity some money.
He donated some money to the charity.
Unlike 'give', 'donate' cannot take an indirect object directly. You must donate 'something TO someone'.
Synonyms
02medical donation
B2 · Upper Intermediate Medicine
v. to allow doctors to take your blood or an organ to help a sick person.
v. to provide blood, plasma, or organs for medical use in transfusions or transplants.
“He goes to the hospital every few months to donate blood.”
“The campaign encourages citizens to donate bone marrow to help patients suffering from rare blood disorders.”
Usage
Commonly used with 'blood', 'organs', or 'plasma' as the direct object.
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “donate” in context.
Verb
01. donate blood regularly
“My brother donates blood regularly at the hospital to help save lives.”
verb + noun + adv
02. donate money to charity
“Every month, she donates money to a local charity for homeless animals.”
verb + noun + prep + noun
03. donate old books
“We decided to donate old books to the school library.”
verb + adj + noun
04. generously donate clothes
“The neighbors generously donated clothes and toys to the family after the fire.”
adv + verb
Noun
05. decision to donate
“Her decision to donate her organs has helped many people in need.”
noun + infinitive
06. opportunity to donate
“The music festival gave fans an opportunity to donate to environmental causes.”
noun + infinitive
Etymology
Circa 1845, back-formation from donation on the basis of -ate (verb-forming suffix), chiefly found in American English. Ultimately from Latin dōnāre (“to give”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B1 PreliminaryIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.4.0–5.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 3.0–3.544–71TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.550–784
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- B1 · IntermediateOxford
- Updated
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