Donation vs Grant

When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.

Donation

Top 1,000 (very common) B2 noun

Grant

Formal Top 2,000 (common) B2 verb

Most formal: Grant Most common: Donation

	Donation	Grant
Pronunciation	🇬🇧 /["/dəʊˈneɪʃn/"]/ 🇺🇸 /["/dəʊˈneɪʃn/"]/	🇬🇧 /["/ɡrɑːnt/","/ɡrɑːnts/","/ˈɡrɑːntɪd/","/ˈɡrɑːntɪŋ/"]/ 🇺🇸 /["/ɡrænt/","/ɡrænts/","/ˈɡræntɪd/","/ˈɡræntɪŋ/"]/
Meaning	Giving money or goods to help others.	To give something, especially officially.
Example	The charity received a large donation to help fund their new community center.	The teacher decided to grant the students extra time for their assignment.
Register	Neutral	Formal
How common	Top 1,000 (very common)	Top 2,000 (common)
CEFR level	B2	B2
Part of speech	noun	verb
Collocations	generous, large, sizeable, give, make, send, in donations, donation to, donation towards/​toward	expressly, specifically, automatically, agree to, decide to, refuse to, expressly, specifically, automatically, agree to, decide to, refuse to
Antonyms	withdrawal, withholding	revoke, withhold
Common mistakes	Confused with 'contribution' which can imply a smaller or less formal giving., Using it in contexts not related to helping others., Mixing it up with 'donor' which refers to the person giving.	Confused with 'granted' which is the past tense., Using 'grant' without an object., Mixing up 'grant' with 'gift', thinking they are interchangeable.
Usage notes	Used in both formal and everyday contexts. Appropriate when discussing charity, fundraising, or community support. Avoid using in casual contexts unrelated to helping others.	Typically used in formal contexts such as legal or educational settings. Avoid in casual conversations.

See it in real clips

House Of Cards › S1 E1

The donation from SanCorp?

Donation

if Mr. Woltz would grant us a favor.

Band Of Brothers › S1 E1

Thank you, Sergeant Grant.

if Mr. Woltz would grant us a favor.

Band Of Brothers › S1 E1

Thank you, Sergeant Grant.

Grant

Frequently asked questions: Donation vs Grant

What's the difference between Donation and Grant?

Donation: Giving money or goods to help others. Grant: To give something, especially officially.

Which is more formal: Donation and Grant?

Grant is the most formal of these.

Which is more common: Donation and Grant?

Donation is the most common in everyday English.

Are Donation and Grant the same CEFR level?

Donation: B2, Grant: B2 on the CEFR scale.

What part of speech are Donation and Grant?

Donation: noun, Grant: verb.

Can you show an example of each?

Donation: The charity received a large donation to help fund their new community center. Grant: The teacher decided to grant the students extra time for their assignment.

Can I use Donation and Grant interchangeably?

Not always. Donation and Grant are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.