donation

The word “donation” means something given freely, usually money or goods, to support a cause or help someone. In plain terms, a gift, usually of money, made to help a person, charity, or cause.

“Donation” is pronounced doh-NAY-shuhn (/doʊˈneɪʃən/ in IPA).

Here is “donation” used in a sentence: “The charity relies on public donations to fund its work.”

“Donation” is a noun.

The word “donation” comes from Latin. From Latin donatio, "a gift," from donare, "to give.".

“Donation” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B2 level.

Both are given freely, but a donation supports a cause, charity, or public purpose, while a gift is usually personal, given to an individual out of affection or custom. Tax systems often treat charitable donations differently from personal gifts, which is why the distinction matters on official forms.

A contribution is anything given as a share toward a larger effort — money, time, or ideas — and the word is neutral. A donation is specifically something given freely to support a cause or help someone, typically money or goods, and implies charity rather than obligation.

Both are grammatical, but "make a donation" is the standard collocation in formal and charity contexts. In everyday speech, the verb "donate" on its own is often the most natural choice: "donate ten pounds" rather than "give a donation of ten pounds".

No. A donation is anything given freely to support a cause or help someone — commonly money, but also goods, food, or clothing, and the word extends to blood donation and organ donation. What defines a donation is that it is given freely, not what is given.