- charity
-
char·i·ty n pl -ties: a gift for humanitarian, philanthropic, or other purposes beneficial to the public (as maintaining a public building); also: an institution (as a hospital or school) or organization founded by such a gift compare private foundation◇ Statutory definitions of what institutions and organizations qualify as charities vary. Organizations that are primarily involved in political campaigns or lobbying do not qualify as charities for tax purposes, but trusts for them may be considered charitable. In addition to tax-exempt status, charities have also generally been granted immunity from tort suits.
Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary of Law. Merriam-Webster. 1996.
- charity
-
I
noun
active giving, aid, almsgiving, altruism, assistance, backing, benefaction, beneftcentia, benevolence, benevolentness, bestowal, bounteousness, bountifulness, clemency, considerateness, consideration, contribution, donation, dotation, endowment, generosity, generous giving, gift, good will, grace, grant, help, hospitality, humaneness, humanitarianism, humanity, kindness, liberalitas, liberalness, magnanimity, munificence, patronage, philanthropic gift, philanthropy, relief, support, unselfishness, willing help
associated concepts: charitable and benevolent institution, charitable association, charitable bequest, charitable contributions, charitable corporation, charitable enterprise, charitable gift, charitable institution, charitable organization, charitable purposes, charitable trusts, charitable use
II
index
aid (subsistence), benefit (conferment), benevolence (act of kindness), benevolence (disposition to do good), clemency, condonation, contribution (donation), donation, favor (act of kindness), foundation (organization), goodwill, gratuity (present), help, largess (generosity), largess (gift), lenience, philanthropy
Burton's Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006
- charity
-
n.(1) An organization whose focus is on charitable work and public benevolence.(2) The donation of money or help to those in need.
The Essential Law Dictionary. — Sphinx Publishing, An imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc. Amy Hackney Blackwell. 2008.
- charity
-
the giving of money to help the needy or a body that is established to administer such donations. The concept of charity dates from a permission given by the Emperor Constantine allowing subjects to make bequests to the church. This facility came to be so abused that it was severely restricted by the Emperor Valentinian; this restraint was, however, gradually relaxed so that by the time of Justinian it had become a fixed maxim of the civil law that bequests to pious uses were entitled to privileged treatment.In English law, the State of Charitable Uses Act of 1601 codified the received law up to that point, and the preamble to that statute still provides the starting point for the definition of charity in modern law. This, according to the House of Lords in Pemsel's Case [1891] AC 531, comprises gifts for the relief of poverty, for the advancement of religion, for the advancement of education, and for other purposes beneficial to the community not falling under any of the preceding heads but within the words or spirit of the Act of 1601. A charitable trust is treated more favourably than others, in that it is not subject to the rule against perpetuities, it is not subject to the beneficiary principle that requires that trusts be for the benefit of persons rather than of purposes, and it attracts favourable tax treatment. To qualify as charitable, however, a gift must be exclusively charitable, that is, it must be so conditioned that no part of it can be devoted to any non-charitable purpose. If a charitable gift fails because the object no longer exists or the purpose has been satisfied, the gift may be applied cy pres to the satisfaction of similar charitable purposes. Charities are under the general jurisdiction of the Charity Commissioners in England and Wales and the Lord Advocate in Scotland.In Scotland, for tax purposes, charity and charitable purposes are to be interpreted according to English law: Scottish Burial Reform and Cremation Society v . Glasgow Corp. 1967 SC (HL) 116.
Collins dictionary of law. W. J. Stewart. 2001.
- charity
-
Category: Nonprofits
Nolo’s Plain-English Law Dictionary. Gerald N. Hill, Kathleen Thompson Hill. 2009.
- charity
-
n.1) in general the sentiment of benevolence, doing good works, assisting the less fortunate, philanthropy and contributing to the general public.2) an organization which exists to help those in need or provide educational, scientific, religious and artistic assistance to members of the public. Charities are usually corporations established under state guidelines and require IRS approval in order for contributions to them to be deductible from gross income by donors.See also: charitable contribution
Law dictionary. EdwART. 2013.
