Charity: Giving, the Organisations That Do It, and an Older Meaning Entirely
Charity is help given to those in need, and the name for organisations set up to give it. In older English it meant love in the broadest sense.
Charity covers the act of giving, the money given, and the body that organises it. Its oldest English sense is quite different: in Bible translations charity meant selfless love, which is why the famous verse ends the greatest of these is charity.
- Help given to those in need. *They live on charity.*
- An organisation that gives such help. *A registered charity.*
- Kindness in judging others. *Show a little charity.*
- Selfless love (archaic). *Faith, hope and charity.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | charity | A children's charity. |
| Adjective | charitable | A charitable trust. |
| Adverb | charitably | To put it charitably. |
| Compound | charity shop | A charity shop on the high street. |
| Related | philanthropy | Corporate philanthropy. |
How it is used in a sentence
- The proceeds go to charity.No article in this fixed phrase.
- To put it charitably, the plan was ambitious.A polite way of saying it was unrealistic.
- Charity begins at home.A proverb, often used to justify not giving.
Charity, philanthropy and aid
- Charity — relief given to those in immediate need
- Philanthropy — larger, planned giving aimed at long-term causes
- Aid — assistance between states or agencies, often after disaster
- Alms — the old word for money given directly to the poor
- Charity shop — British; Americans say thrift store
From Latin *caritas*, dearness or costly love, from *carus*, dear. Early English Bibles used charity where modern ones use love, which is why the word once meant something far larger than a donation.
Is living on charity an insult?
It can sound demeaning, which is why organisations prefer support, assistance or grant when speaking of the people they help.
Charity or non-profit?
In Britain charity is a legal status with a registration number. In America the equivalent bodies are usually called non-profits.