endowment

noun

en·​dow·​ment in-ˈdau̇-mənt 

en-

1

: the act or process of endowing

2

: something that is endowed

specifically : the part of an institution's income derived from donations

3

: natural capacity, power, or ability

a person of great intellectual endowment

Synonyms

• aptitude
• bent
• faculty
• flair
• genius
• gift
• head
• knack
• talent

Examples of endowment in a Sentence

The hospital's endowment was established by a local family.

The college has a large endowment.

the endowment of a hospital wing

Recent Examples on the Web

But the policies some universities have announced don’t explicitly address two important factors: the scope of institutional neutrality within a university, and the issue of divesting endowment funds for political purposes. —Daniel Diermeier, Forbes, 12 Sep. 2024

Clients include high net worth individuals as well as foundations, endowments and insurance companies, according to general information disclosed to regulators. —Brendan Coffey, Sportico.com, 8 Aug. 2024

Its limited partners, largely made up of endowments, charitable foundations, and nonprofits, seem satisfied: Indeed, the base of investors in Sequoia’s primary fund grew slightly from 2022 to 2023, from 354 to 358. —Michal Lev-Ram, Fortune, 25 July 2024

Under his 11-year tenure, Ford's endowment grew from just over $11 billion to just under $17 billion, slightly smaller than the GDP of Jamaica. —Belinda Luscombe, TIME, 25 July 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

endowment

noun

en·​dow·​ment in-ˈdau̇-mənt 

1

: the providing of a permanent fund for support

also : the fund provided

a college's endowment

2

: a person's natural ability

Legal Definition

endowment

noun

en·​dow·​ment

1

: the act or process of endowing

2

: a result or product of endowing: as

a

: the income of an institution derived from donations

the university's ability to attract endowment

b

: the property (as a fund) donated to an institution or organization that is invested and producing income

an endowment to maintain the gallery

3

: an endowed organization or institution : foundation

chairwoman of the state's arts endowment

4

: endowment insurance