charity

What it means

1. countableAn organization, the objective of which is to carry out a charitable purpose.

   give to charity

   4 more examples

   ‘[…] I remember a lady coming to inspect St. Mary's Home where I was brought up and seeing us all in our lovely Elizabethan uniforms we were so proud of, and bursting into tears all over us because “it was wicked to dress us like charity children”.[…]’.

   1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 6, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC

   The event raised money for local charities.

   He donated half his earnings to charity.

   registered charity

2. countableThe goods or money given to those in need, or the act of doing it.

   Synonyms: dole

3. uncountableBenevolence to the less fortunate; the providing of goods or money to those in need.

   act of charity

In a sentence

‘[…] I remember a lady coming to inspect St. Mary's Home where I was brought up and seeing us all in our lovely Elizabethan uniforms we were so proud of, and bursting into tears all over us because “it was wicked to dress us like charity children”.[…]’.

1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 6, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC

Where it comes from

1. Proto-Indo-European*keh₂-
2. Proto-Italic*kāros
3. Latincārus
4. Latincāritātem
5. Old Frenchcharité
6. Middle Englishcharite
7. Englishcharity

From Middle English charite, from Old French charité, cherte, chariteit, cariteit, from Latin cāritās. * The Tyndale Bible uses native English love instead.