donate
UK /də(ʊ)ˈneɪt/ · US /ˈdoʊˌneɪt/ verb, proper noun
Forms donates donating donated
- verb (ambitransitive) To make a donation; to give away something of value to support or contribute towards a cause or for the benefit of another. “She donates 100 dollars to Red Cross every year.”
- proper noun A surname from Spanish.
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”).
Borrowed from Spanish Donate. This surname is mostly found in Spain.
Webster’s 1913
Etymology [L. donatus, p. p. of donare to donate, fr. donum gift, fr. dare to give. See 2d Date.]
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “donate”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details