Origin: Latin suffix -ment
Endowment has 4 different meanings across 1 category:
natural abilities or qualities
"Her innate talent for music was evident from her early childhood endowment of perfect pitch."
the capital that provides income for an institution
"The university's financial stability relies on its large endowment, which generates annual interest to fund faculty salaries and research grants."
the act of endowing with a permanent source of income
"his generous endowment of the laboratory came just in the nick of time"
Something with which a person or thing is endowed.
"The professor's keen insight was an endowment of his remarkable mind."
In plain English: An endowment is money given to an organization that must be kept safe while only its interest can be used for expenses.
"The university received a large endowment from an anonymous donor to support its research programs."
Usage: An endowment typically refers to money given by an organization to support the work of another, such as funding for a university program. It can also describe natural qualities like intelligence that someone possesses from birth.
The word entered English from Middle French as endonement, originally referring to the act of providing someone with a dowry or financial provision for marriage. Over time, its meaning broadened in English to describe any grant of property, money, or talent given to an institution or individual.