From Late Middle English endowen, endouen, enduen, indouen, indw, from Anglo-Norman endouer, from Old French en- + douer (from Latin dōtāre (present active infinitive of dōtō); modern French douer).

• (RP) IPA: /ɪnˈdaʊ/, /ɛn-/
• (America) IPA: /ɪnˈdaʊ/

endow (endows, present participle endowing; simple past and past participle endowed)

1. (transitive) To give property to (someone) as a gift; specifically, to provide (a person or institution) with support in the form of a permanent fund of money or other benefits.
   • 1611, Iohn Speed [i.e., John Speed], “Iohn, Duke of Normandie, Guyen, and Aquitaine, &c. […]”, in The History of Great Britaine under the Conquests of yͤ Romans, Saxons, Danes and Normans. […], London: […] William Hall and John Beale, for John Sudbury and George Humble, […], →OCLC ↗, book IX ([Englands Monarchs] […]), paragraph 63, page 506 ↗, column 2:

     His [John, King of England's] Acts and Orders for the VVeale-publike vvere beyond moſt: hee being either the firſt, or the chiefeſt, vvho appointed thoſe noble Formes of Ciuill gouernement in London, and moſt Cities, and Incorporate Tovvnes of England, endovving them alſo vvith their greateſt Franchiſes; […]

   • 1841 February–November, Charles Dickens, “Barnaby Rudge. Chapter 20.”, in Master Humphrey's Clock, volume III, London: Chapman & Hall, […], →OCLC ↗, page 46 ↗:

     Finding her quite incorrigible in this respect, Emma suffered her to depart; but not before she had confided to her that important and never-sufficiently-to-be-taken-care-of answer, and endowed her moreover with a pretty little bracelet as a keepsake.

2. (transitive, followed by with, or rarely by of) To enrich or furnish with some faculty or quality.

   Synonyms: begift, endue

   • 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto III”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC ↗, stanza 25, page 225 ↗:

     Vpon her eyelids many Graces ſate, / Vnder the ſhadow of her euen browes, / VVorking belgardes [beautiful looks], and amorous retrate [portrait], / And euerie one her with a grace endowes: […]

   • 1816 June – 1817 April/May (date written), [Mary Shelley], chapter VII, in Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus. […], volume III, London: […] [Macdonald and Son] for Lackington, Hughes, Harding, Mavor, & Jones, published 1 January 1818, →OCLC ↗, [https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=emu.010001278703;view=1up;seq=181 page 173]:

     I am weak; but surely the spirits who assist my vengeance will endow me with sufficient strength.

   • 1860, Nathaniel Hawthorne, “A Walk on the Campagna”, in The Marble Faun: Or, The Romance of Monte Beni. […], volume II, Boston, Mass.: Ticknor and Fields, →OCLC ↗, page 237 ↗:

     [T]he sculptor lifted it [a round block of stone], turned it hither and thither in his hands, brushed off the clinging soil, and finally placed it on the slender neck of the newly discovered statue. The effect was magical. It immediately lighted up and vivified the whole figure, endowing it with personality, soul, and intelligence.

3. (transitive, usually in the passive) To naturally furnish (with something).

   Synonyms: bless, gift

   She was endowed with a beautiful voice.

   • 1859 November 23, Charles Darwin, “Recapitulation and Conclusion”, in On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, […], London: John Murray, […], →OCLC ↗, page 482 ↗:

     A few naturalists, endowed with much flexibility of mind, and who have already begun to doubt on the immutability of species, may be influenced by this volume; but I look with confidence to the future, to young and rising naturalists, who will be able to view both sides of the question with impartiality.

4. (transitive, archaic or obsolete) To provide with a dower or a dowry.
   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC ↗, Exodus 22:16–17 ↗, column 1:

     And if a man entice a maide that is not betrothed, and lie with her, he ſhall ſurely endow her to be his wife. If her father utterly refuſe to giue her vnto him, he ſhall pay money according to the dowrie of virgins.

   • 1628, Edw[ard] Coke, “Dower”, in The First Part of the Institutes of the Lawes of England. […], London: […] [Adam Islip] for the Societe of Stationers, →OCLC ↗, book I, chapter 47, [https:// page 38]:

     Also if a man ſeiſed in Fee Simple beeing within age endoweth his wife at the Monaſterie or Church doore, and dieth, and his wife enter, in this caſe the heire of the huſband may out her. But otherwiſe it is, (as it ſeemeth) where the father is ſeiſed in fee, and the ſonne within age endoweth his wife ex aſſenſu patris, the Father being then of full age.

   • 1766, William Blackstone, “Of Freeholds, Not of Inheritance”, in Commentaries on the Laws of England, book II (Of the Rights of Things), Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] Clarendon Press, →OCLC ↗, page 130 ↗:

     [T]he reaſon, which our law gives for adopting it [i.e., dower], is a very plain and a ſenſible one; for the ſuſtenance of the wife, and the nurture and education of the younger children. […] 1. Who may be endowed. She muſt be the actual wife of the party at the time of the deceaſe. If ſhe be divorced a vinculo matrimonii, ſhe ſhall not be endowed; […]

• dowager
• dower
• doweress
• dowerless
• dowry

• French: doter
• German: ausstatten
• Italian: dotare, finanziare, foraggiare, provvedere, sovvenzionare
• Portuguese: custear, financiar
• Russian: обеспе́чивать
• Spanish: dotar, costear, financiar

• French: doter, enrichir
• Italian: arricchire, dotare, garantire
• Portuguese: dotar
• Russian: одаривать
• Spanish: dotar

• Italian: dotare
• Portuguese: dotar
• Russian: быть одарённый
• Spanish: ser bendecido, ser dotado