char ‧ i ‧ ty S3 W3 /ˈtʃærəti, ˈtʃærɪti/ BrE AmE noun ( plural charities )
[ Date: 1100-1200 ; Language: Old French ; Origin: charité , from Late Latin caritas 'Christian love' , from Latin carus 'dear' ]
1 . [countable] an organization that gives money, goods, or help to people who are poor, sick etc ⇨ charitable :
Several charities sent aid to the flood victims.
charity event/walk/concert etc (=an event organized to collect money for a charity)
2 . [uncountable] charity organizations in general:
All the money raised by the concert will go to charity.
for charity
The children raised over £200 for charity.
3 . [uncountable] money or gifts given to help people who are poor, sick etc:
refugees living on charity
Her pride wouldn’t allow her to accept charity.
4 . [uncountable] formal kindness or sympathy that you show towards other people:
Mother Teresa’s works of charity
Newspaper reports showed him little charity.
5 . charity begins at home a phrase meaning that you should take care of your own family, country etc before you help other people
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COLLOCATIONS (for Meanings 1 & 2)
■ verbs
▪ give something to charity
I like to give a small amount of what I earn to charity.
▪ donate something to charity (=give something to charity)
She sold all her jewellery and donated the money to charity.
▪ go to charity
Any profit that she makes from her writing goes to charity.
▪ raise money/funds for charity
A huge amount is raised for charity by the festival.
▪ support a charity (=give money to one)
Do you support any charities?
■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + charity
▪ a local charity (=one that operates near the place where you live)
All the money raised goes to local charities.
▪ an international charity (=one that operates all over the world)
The Red Cross is a well-known international charity.
▪ a national charity (=one that operates throughout a country)
Help the Aged is a national charity representing older people.
▪ a cancer charity (=one that raises money to treat or cure cancer)
The event raised thousands of pounds for a cancer charity.
■ charity + NOUN
▪ a charity shop (=one that gives the money it makes to a charity)
Give your old clothes to a charity shop.
▪ a charity event (=one organized to collect money for a charity)
She spoke at a charity event in aid of famine relief.
▪ a charity match/concert/show etc
The band appeared at a charity concert for free.
▪ a charity worker (=someone who works for a charity, often without pay)
Charity workers say these reforms will not help the poor.
▪ a charity appeal (=an act of asking people to give money to a charity)
The organization is launching a charity appeal for a new air ambulance.
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THESAURUS
▪ organization a group of people, companies, or countries, which is set up for a particular purpose:
Greenpeace is an international organization that protects the environment.
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the World Health Organization
▪ institution a large important organization such as a bank, church, or university:
The University is an important academic institution.
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financial institutions such as banks
▪ association an organization for people in a particular profession, sport, or activity, which officially represents its members – often used in names:
I met a representative of the National Association of Teachers.
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the Football Association
▪ party an organization of people with the same political aims which you can vote for in elections:
Which political party do you support?
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He voted for the Republican Party’s candidate.
▪ body an important group of people who make the rules and advise people about what should be allowed:
the sport’s governing body
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The government has set up an advisory body.
▪ club/society an organization for people who share an interest, for example a sport:
We belong to a tennis club.
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I joined the university film society.
▪ union an organization formed by workers in order to protect their rights:
The union ordered its members out on strike.
▪ charity an organization which collects money to help people who are poor, sick etc and does not make any profit for itself:
She has raised a lot of money for local charities.
▪ quango British English disapproving an organization set up by the government, which has official power but whose members have not been elected:
the amount of money that is wasted on government quangos