# endowed

/ɛnˈdaʊd/ (US) · /ɛndˈaʊd/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/endowed
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. having a gift or quality

adjective · CEFR C1 · Formal

born with a special talent, quality, or physical feature.

For teachers: naturally provided with a particular quality, talent, or physical attribute; often used with the preposition 'with'.

- She was endowed with a beautiful singing voice that filled the whole hall.
- The young researcher was highly endowed with the analytical skills necessary to solve the complex mathematical proof.

Usage: Usually follows the verb 'to be' and takes the preposition 'with'.

### 2. financially supported

adjective · CEFR C1 · Formal

describing an organization, like a university, that has a permanent supply of money from gifts.

For teachers: provided with a permanent fund or source of income, typically through a large financial gift or legacy.

- The university has several endowed chairs for famous professors.
- The museum's future is secure thanks to an endowed fund established by a local philanthropist in the 1920s.

Usage: Often used as an attributive adjective before a noun like 'chair', 'position', or 'institution'.

### 3. having a large body part

adjective · CEFR C2 · Informal · Humorous

having large breasts or a large penis.

For teachers: possessing large or impressive sexual organs; almost exclusively used in the compound 'well-endowed'.

- The actor was known for being well-endowed, which he often joked about.
- The statue depicted a well-endowed deity, symbolising fertility and abundance in the ancient culture.

Teaching tip: This sense is almost always used with the prefix 'well-'. Be careful using it in professional settings as it refers to physical anatomy.

## Examples

- She is endowed with a beautiful singing voice.
- The university is heavily endowed, allowing it to offer full scholarships to students from low-income families.
- The philosopher argued that all humans are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, which no government has the authority to diminish or remove.

---

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.