Endowment
What it means
A lasting gift of money or property that supports a person or institution.
Reach for it when describing capital given to fund a purpose over the long term
The library's endowment keeps membership free for every resident.
Words to choose between 6
| playful | |
|---|---|
| everyday | |
| warm | |
| professional | |
| formal |
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playful
Fits when informal language describes money preserved for the future
Careful The idiom suggests personal savings, not charitable or institutional governance.
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everyday
Fits when any voluntary gift of money or goods is meant
Careful A donation may be spent immediately, with no invested capital or continuing income.
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warm
Fits when the gift's lasting meaning matters alongside its value
Careful Legacy can be intangible and does not specify financial structure.
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professional
Fits when money reserved for a defined purpose is central
Careful A fund can come from operating revenue and may not be endowed permanently.
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professional
Fits when time-limited money supports a project or recipient
Careful A grant is usually spent down and differs from an enduring capital base.
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formal
bequest
Fits when a gift is left through a will
Careful A bequest may be spent immediately and need not create a lasting fund.
Opposites 3
- debt
- depletion
- divestment
Common phrases 3
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permanent endowment
A permanent endowment pays for conservation without selling the collection.
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university endowment
The university endowment funds scholarships as well as research.
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build an endowment
Trustees hope to build an endowment through many modest gifts.
Usage notes
Keep in mind
Here, the positive sense is the lasting gift or fund, not the separate sense of an innate talent.
Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Recording: Vealhurl, Southern England accent, from Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Updated