charity

[ char-i-tee ]
See synonyms for charity on Thesaurus.com
noun,plural char·i·ties.
  1. generous actions or donations to aid people who are poor, ill, or needy: to devote one's life to charity.

  2. something given to a person or persons in need; alms: She asked for work, not charity.

  1. a charitable act or work.

  2. a charitable fund, foundation, or institution: He left his estate to a charity.

  3. benevolent feeling, especially toward those in need or in disfavor: She looked so hungry that we fed her out of charity.

  4. leniency in judging others; forbearance: She was inclined to view our selfish behavior with charity.

  5. Christian love; agape.

Origin of charity

1
First recorded in 1125–75; Middle English charite, from Old French charite, cherite, from Latin cāritāt- (stem of cāritās “high price, costliness, dearness, affection, esteem”), equivalent to cār(us) “costly, dear” + -itāt- noun suffix; see cherish, Kama, caress;see also -ity

Other words for charity

Opposites for charity

Other words from charity

  • char·i·ty·less, adjective
  • o·ver·char·i·ty, noun
  • pro·char·i·ty, adjective

Other definitions for Charity (2 of 2)

Charity
[ char-i-tee ]

noun
  1. a female given name.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use charity in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for charity

charity

/ (ˈtʃærɪtɪ) /


nounplural -ties
    • the giving of help, money, food, etc, to those in need

    • (as modifier): a charity show

    • an institution or organization set up to provide help, money, etc, to those in need

    • (as modifier): charity funds

  1. the help, money, etc, given to the needy; alms

  2. a kindly and lenient attitude towards people

  3. love of one's fellow men

Origin of charity

1
C13: from Old French charite, from Latin cāritās affection, love, from cārus dear

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012