endowment
gb/ɪndˈaʊmənt/ us/ɪndˈaʊmənt/
B2
English
~ 6800
alapítványi vagyon, adományalap, alapítványi célú adományozás, alapítványi támogatás, adottság, méret, férfiasság, vegyes életbiztosítás, megtakarítási életbiztosítás
NOUN
B2
FORMAL
1
Usage pattern:
the [institution] endowment
The university’s endowment grew by eight percent last year.
Az egyetem alapítványi vagyona tavaly nyolc százalékkal nőtt.
Thanks to a generous endowment, the hospital can offer free care to low-income patients.
Egy nagy összegű adományból létrehozott alapnak köszönhetően a kórház ingyenes ellátást tud nyújtani az alacsony jövedelmű betegeknek.
They launched a campaign to double the school’s endowment within ten years.
Most of the museum’s exhibitions are funded from its endowment.
The charity created an endowment to ensure stable income in the future.
Learner examples
The college uses its endowment to give money for student scholarships.
A főiskola az alapítványi vagyonát diákösztöndíjak finanszírozására használja.
The hospital wants to grow its endowment so it can help more people.
A kórház növelni szeretné az alapítványi vagyonát, hogy több embernek tudjon segíteni.
She left her money to the church as an endowment.
The museum has a big endowment, so it does not worry about money so much.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use "endowment" to mean any one-time gift or donation. In formal English, an endowment is usually a large sum that is invested as a permanent fund, not just a single small donation that is immediately spent.
Meaning
permanent fund given to an institution
Collocations
university endowment
|endowment fund
|build the endowment
|large endowment
|endowment income
|endowment campaign
Synonyms
fund (General term; does not always imply a permanent, invested gift to an institution.)
|
trust (A legal arrangement to hold assets; not always tied to a single institution’s long-term support.)
Antonyms
spending (Focuses on using up money rather than preserving and investing it for ongoing support.)
|
disinvestment (Refers to taking money out of investments, the reverse of building up an endowment.)
Themes
education
|finance
|charity
|business
Definition
Money or property that is given to a school, hospital, or similar group and kept as a special fund to bring in income for a long time.
A large amount of money or property donated to an institution and invested as a permanent fund, whose income is used to support its activities.
NOUN
C1
FORMAL
2
Usage pattern:
the endowment of [something] with [money/resources]
The endowment of the new research center was made possible by a single wealthy donor.
Az új kutatóközpont alapítványi vagyonának létrehozását egyetlen tehetős adományozó tette lehetővé.
Her will provided for the endowment of several scholarships for local students.
Végrendeletében úgy rendelkezett, hogy több ösztöndíjalapot hozzanak létre helyi diákok számára.
The foundation announced the endowment of a professorship in climate science.
Public debate followed the government’s endowment of the national arts council.
The endowment of the library with rare books greatly increased its value.
Learner examples
The endowment of the new hospital wing came from a rich family.
Az új kórházi szárny alapítványi támogatása egy gazdag családtól származott.
Her gift allowed the endowment of a science prize at the university.
Adománya lehetővé tette egy tudományos díj alapítását az egyetemen.
The city celebrated the endowment of a music school for children.
The endowment of the museum with new funds saved it from closing.
Common mistake:
Learners may not realize that this sense is about the action or process, not the fund itself. In many contexts, it is clearer to say "the donation" or "the gift" if you mean a simple act of giving, and reserve "endowment" for long-term support.
Meaning
act of giving long-term funds
Collocations
the endowment of a chair
|endowment through a bequest
|public endowment
|private endowment
|endowment of the arts
|government endowment
Synonyms
grant (A gift of money, often for a specific project, not always permanent or invested as a fund.)
|
donation (Any gift of money or goods; does not specifically imply setting up a long-term fund.)
Antonyms
withdrawal (Taking money away from an institution instead of giving it.)
|
confiscation (The state takes property away, the opposite of giving property as an endowment.)
Themes
finance
|charity
|law
|business
|education
Definition
The act of giving money or property to start or increase a special fund that will support a group for many years.
The act of providing money or property to establish or add to a permanent fund that supports an institution or cause.
NOUN
C1
FORMAL
3
adottság
B2
Usage pattern:
an endowment of [ability/quality]
Her musical endowment was clear even at a very young age.
Zenei adottsága már nagyon fiatalon is nyilvánvaló volt.
The program aims to help students develop their intellectual endowments to the fullest.
A program célja, hogy a diákok a lehető legteljesebben kibontakoztassák szellemi adottságaikat.
He combined a rare endowment of creativity and discipline.
No amount of training can fully replace a natural endowment for languages.
They argued that social background, not just genetic endowment, shapes success.
Learner examples
She has a strong endowment for music.
Nagyon jó zenei adottságai vannak.
His natural endowments helped him learn languages easily.
Természetes adottságai segítették abban, hogy könnyen tanuljon nyelveket.
The school wants to support each child’s special endowments.
Talent and hard work are more important than any single endowment.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse this sense with "donation" or "fund" and try to say things like *"the endowment of money" when they mean "the money that was given." Also, for natural ability, "talent" or "gift" is more common in everyday speech; "endowment" sounds more formal or academic.
Meaning
natural ability or quality
Collocations
natural endowment
|artistic endowment
|intellectual endowment
|physical endowments
|a rich endowment of talent
|genetic endowment
Synonyms
talent (Very close in meaning but more common and less formal; often used for specific skills like music or sports.)
|
gift (Common, everyday word for a natural ability; usually warmer and less formal than "endowment".)
Antonyms
limitation (A weakness or lack of ability, the opposite of a strong natural endowment.)
|
disability (A serious physical or mental condition that limits activities, contrasting with a positive natural ability.)
Themes
psychology
|education
|personal_traits
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A special ability or quality that someone has naturally, often from birth.
A natural ability, talent, or quality that a person is born with or strongly possesses.
NOUN
C1
INFORMAL
4
méret
B1
férfiasság
B2
Usage pattern:
his endowment
The magazine article joked about the actor’s supposed endowment.
A magazincikk a színész állítólagos méreteivel viccelődött.
In the novel, the character is secretly insecure about his endowment.
A regényben a szereplő titokban bizonytalan a méretei miatt.
Some ads subtly suggest that products can improve a man’s endowment.
Rumors about his impressive endowment spread quickly online.
Learner examples
People sometimes talk about a man’s endowment in a sexual way.
Az emberek néha szexuális értelemben beszélnek egy férfi méreteiről.
The joke was about the man’s endowment, so it was not polite.
A vicc a férfi méreteiről szólt, ezért nem volt illendő.
She said she did not care about a man’s endowment.
The movie made a silly joke about the hero’s endowment.
Common mistake:
Learners may not realize this is a sexual, body-related meaning and might use it in serious or formal contexts by accident. In most polite situations, avoid using "endowment" to talk about the body; it is safer to use neutral medical terms or say nothing about size.
Meaning
a man’s genital size
Collocations
large endowment
|impressive endowment
|well-endowed (man)
|natural endowment
|boast about his endowment
|modest endowment
Synonyms
manhood (A polite or euphemistic term for a man’s penis, often used in similar contexts.)
|
package (Informal, often humorous term for a man’s genitals; less formal than "endowment".)
Antonyms
lack of endowment (A descriptive opposite, referring to having a small penis.)
Themes
sexuality
|body
Definition
A man’s sexual organ, talked about when people are speaking about how big it is.
A man’s penis, referred to in terms of its size, especially large size.
NOUN
C1
TECHNICAL
5
Usage pattern:
an endowment (policy) on [a mortgage]
They took out an endowment to cover their mortgage when it was due.
Vegyes életbiztosítást kötöttek, hogy lejáratkor abból fizessék vissza a jelzáloghitelüket.
Many homeowners complained after their endowments failed to grow as promised.
Sok lakástulajdonos panaszkodott, miután kiderült, hogy megtakarítási életbiztosításuk nem gyarapodott az ígért mértékben.
He decided to cash in his endowment early to pay for his children’s education.
In the 1990s, endowment mortgages were heavily promoted by banks in the UK.
Learner examples
They bought an endowment policy to pay off their house loan later.
Vegyes életbiztosítást kötöttek, hogy később abból fizessék vissza a lakáshitelüket.
Her endowment did not make as much money as the bank said it would.
A megtakarítási életbiztosítása nem hozott annyi pénzt, amennyit a bank ígért.
He decided to end his endowment early and take the money.
Some people in the UK were unhappy because their endowment was too small to pay the full mortgage.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this technical financial meaning with the more general idea of a donation or fund. In finance, especially in British English, "an endowment" can specifically mean an insurance-savings product linked to a mortgage.
Meaning
life insurance savings policy
Collocations
endowment policy
|endowment mortgage
|with-profits endowment
|low-cost endowment
|mis-sold endowments
|cash in an endowment
Synonyms
endowment policy (More specific standard term; the full phrase is more common than using "endowment" alone.)
|
savings policy (General type of insurance that includes saving; may not always pay exactly like an endowment.)
Antonyms
interest-only mortgage (Type of mortgage that does not automatically repay the loan with a savings policy like an endowment.)
Themes
finance
|insurance
|housing
|business
Definition
A special kind of insurance and savings plan that gives you a large payment on a set date or when you die, sometimes to pay off a home loan.
A life insurance or investment policy that pays out a lump sum on a fixed date or on the policyholder’s death, often used to repay a mortgage.
Grammar
Dictionary form
endowment
IPA
GB/ɪndˈaʊmənt/
US/ɪndˈaʊmənt/
Syllables & stress
en - dow - ment (3 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (dow)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: endowment
- Plural: endowment, endowments
Word family
Forms
endowments
noun
Core family
endow
verb
Related words
endowed
adjective
Expressions
endowment effect
1/ɪndˈaʊmənt ɪfˈɛkt/
fixed phrase
technical
bias of overvaluing owned things
A mental habit where people think something is worth more just because they already own it.
Examples
- The endowment effect explains why people demand more money to give up an item than they would pay to buy it.
- Marketers use the endowment effect by giving customers free trials to create a sense of ownership.
- Economists have studied the endowment effect in many experiments with buyers and sellers.
endowment fund
1/ɪndˈaʊmənt fˈʌnd/
fixed phrase
formal
permanent invested donation fund
A large amount of donated money that is invested and used to give long-term financial support to a school, hospital, or other group.
Examples
- The charity set up an endowment fund to support its work for future generations.
- Donors contributed millions of dollars to the university’s endowment fund.
- A well-managed endowment fund can protect an institution during economic downturns.
endowment policy
1/ɪndˈaʊmənt pˈɑlɪsi/
fixed phrase
technical
lump-sum life insurance policy
A kind of insurance and savings plan that gives you a big payment on a fixed future date or when you die, often used with a home loan.
Examples
- They bought an endowment policy to match the date when their mortgage ends.
- Many people complained that their endowment policy was mis-sold in the 1990s.
- He is thinking about cashing in his endowment policy early to reduce his debts.
natural endowment
1/nˈæt͡ʃɚəl ɪndˈaʊmənt/
fixed phrase
formal
inborn ability or quality
A special ability or quality that a person has from birth, such as musical skill or high intelligence.
Examples
- Her success comes from both hard work and natural endowment.
- The school aims to develop each child’s natural endowment to the fullest.
- No natural endowment can replace years of serious practice.
university endowment
1/jˌunəvˈɚsəti ɪndˈaʊmənt/
fixed phrase
formal
a university’s invested fund
The large invested fund of money that belongs to a university and helps pay for its work.
Examples
- Harvard’s university endowment is one of the largest in the world.
- The university endowment pays for many student scholarships each year.
- During the financial crisis, the university endowment lost a significant part of its value.