grant
noun
Grant — the formal provision of funds or rights, given without expectation of repayment
Definition
The act of providing a subsidy
In depth
A grant is the act of providing a subsidy, a formal allocation of money, land, or rights given by an authority, institution, or government to an individual or organization, typically without expectation of direct repayment. The word implies generosity sanctioned by legitimate authority, distinct from a loan or sale, the recipient receiving genuine benefit without an offsetting obligation.
Origin
The word descends from Old French granter, to grant or promise, related to creant, believing or trusting, ultimately from Latin credere, to believe. That root connection to belief and trust lends the word a subtle resonance, a grant conceived as an act resting fundamentally on the granting authority's trust in the recipient's worthy use of the gift.
Usage examples
"The research grant funded three full years of otherwise unaffordable laboratory work."
"Royal grants of land once formed the basis of much of the kingdom's aristocratic wealth and privilege."
"Her application for the small business grant was approved after months of careful, detailed review."
How to use it
Grant is essential, broadly useful vocabulary across academic, governmental, and charitable writing, useful wherever a writer describes funding or rights provided without expectation of direct financial return, distinguishing it clearly from loans or commercial transactions.
Related concepts
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