tithe

IPA/taɪð/

KK[tˈaɪð]IPA/taɪð/

tithesingular
tithesplural

1.nounB2

Definition

in certain faiths, especially Christianity, ten percent of the money a person earns or the crops they grow, offered to the church to support its activities and staff

Example

Every Sunday, Adisa put his tithe in a small envelope before going to church.

countable noun — 'a tithe' meaning one payment

In medieval times, farmers paid their tithe in grain rather than money.

collocation: pay a tithe / pay in [form]

Common collocations

pay a tithe
give a tithe
church tithe
tithe of income
tithe of crops

Synonyms

offering
a more general term for money given during a religious service; not fixed at ten percent
donation
money given to any charity or cause; broader and not specific to religion

Grammar Patterns

tithe + of + noun phrase

Usage Note

In modern Christian practice, a tithe is typically a voluntary donation whereas in historical contexts it was a legal tax. The word is rarely used outside religious settings.

Common Mistakes

I gave a tithe of my time to help at the hospital.

I gave a tithe of my income to the church.

A tithe specifically refers to money or produce given to a religious organisation, not time or effort given to any cause.

tithepresent simple I / you / we / they
tithes3rd person singular
tithing-ing form
tithedpast simple

1.verbtransitive / intransitiveB2

Definition

to regularly give one tenth of the money you earn to a church or religious organisation as a donation, often as a religious duty

Example

The pastor encouraged everyone in the congregation to tithe faithfully each month.

intransitive use — 'to tithe' with no object

Saira decided to tithe ten percent of her salary to the charity her church supported.

transitive use — 'tithe + percentage + of + income'

Common collocations

tithe faithfully
tithe regularly
tithe one's income
tithe a portion
tithe to the church

Synonyms

give
a general verb; 'tithe' is specific to a tenth given for religious purposes
donate
broader in meaning; not limited to a fixed percentage or to religious contexts

Grammar Patterns

tithe (intransitive)

tithe + noun phrase (transitive)

Usage Note

When used transitively, the object is the amount given (e.g. 'tithe one's income') rather than the recipient. The recipient is usually introduced by 'to'.

Common Mistakes

He tithed the church fifty dollars.

He tithed fifty dollars to the church.

The object of 'tithe' is the money or percentage, not the organisation receiving it.

2.verbtransitiveC1

Definition

of a church, religious authority, or ruler, to demand and collect one tenth of someone's income, crops, or goods as a required payment, especially in historical times

Example

The local priest tithed every farmer's wheat harvest to support the cathedral's building work.

transitive — church tithes [crops/property]

In some regions, the church tithed not only crops but also livestock and timber.

Common collocations

tithe the harvest
tithe the land
tithe the crops
tithe goods
tithe merchants

Synonyms

tax
a broader term; 'tithe' is specifically a tenth and usually religious
levy
more general and legal; 'tithe' implies a fixed religious tenth

Grammar Patterns

tithe + noun phrase (the thing tithed)

Usage Note

This sense describes the action of the authority collecting the tithe, not the person paying it. It is almost always used in historical or formal religious discussion. The subject is typically a church, monastery, bishop, or similar institution.

Common Mistakes

The farmer tithed his crops to the church.' (This describes paying, not collecting.)

The bishop tithed the farmer's crops.

The collector of the tithe is the subject of this verb sense; the payer uses sense 1.

Word family

tithing
nounB2
tither
nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Tithe, offering, donation, contribution, and alms all involve giving money or goods, but they differ in context, amount, and obligation. A tithe is specifically one tenth of a person's income given to a church, often expected as a religious duty. An offering is money given during a religious service, usually on top of any tithe and freely chosen in amount. A donation is money or goods given to any charitable organisation without a fixed amount or religious link. A contribution is a broader term for something given toward a shared goal, which can be money, time, or ideas. Alms are gifts of food, money, or clothing to the poor, a term mostly found in older religious or literary contexts. For example: 'Every Sunday she placed her tithe in the collection plate and later made a donation to the homeless shelter.' 'The monk distributed alms to the beggars outside the monastery gates.'

offering ↗donation ↗contribution ↗alms ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

a tenth of
tithe on income
tithe to the church
pay in tithe

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishProto-GermanicEnglish

The word 'tithe' comes from Old English 'teogotha' (meaning 'tenth'), which traces back to the Proto-Germanic 'teguntho-'. It is related to Old Norse 'tiund' and German 'Zehnt' (also meaning 'tenth'). The meaning narrowed over time from 'a tenth part of anything' to the specific religious practice of giving a tenth of one's income or produce to support the church.

First known use

12th century

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1 Verb

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tithe

tithe — noun

1. in certain faiths, especially Christianity, ten percent of the money a person ea

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

tithe — verb

1. to regularly give one tenth of the money you earn to a church or religious organ

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

2. of a church, religious authority, or ruler, to demand and collect one tenth of s

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

Word family

Synonym discussion

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

Prepositions

Etymology

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