tithe

1 of 2

noun

1
: a tenth part of something paid as a voluntary contribution or as a tax especially for the support of a religious establishment
2
: the obligation represented by individual tithes
3
: tenth
broadly : a small part
4
: a small tax or levy

tithe

2 of 2

verb

tithed; tithing

transitive verb

1
: to pay or give a tenth part of especially for the support of a religious establishment or organization
2
: to levy a tithe on

intransitive verb

: to give a tenth of one's income as a tithe

Examples of tithe in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
That Harvard lost this one ought to serve as a warning to those who have convinced themselves that the purpose of the American citizenry is to furnish a few members of a distant caste with ever-increasing tithes and never to ask how they are being spent. Charles C. W. Cooke, National Review, 3 Jan. 2024 The public will certainly be beneficent in filling the boxoffice plates, but the substantial tithe will be more earth-bound than heavenly. Duane Byrge, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019 What's to stop con artists from demanding tithes or promoting criminal acts? Scott Shapiro, WIRED, 8 Jan. 2024 That includes tithes; regular donations amounting to 10% of a person’s income expected from members of the church. Mead Gruver, Fortune, 1 Nov. 2023 Through Hebrew writing, historians have tracked its migration into the Middle East, as early as AD 200, where it was used as a religious tithe along with figs, grapes, and pomegranates. Alma Avalle, Bon Appétit, 31 Oct. 2023 Churches that leave are required to pay any outstanding tithes owed to the conference, plus an additional year's tithes as well as money to cover unfunded pension liability. Frank E. Lockwood, Arkansas Online, 16 Oct. 2023 The congressman has proposed a bill that aims to ensure Americans who donate to charity or give tithes can benefit from federal tax reductions. Emily Anderson Stern, The Salt Lake Tribune, 29 Aug. 2023 Churches are required to fulfill financial obligations for pension liabilities and apportionments (conference tithes) before taking their property with them. Greg Garrison | , al, 12 June 2023
Verb
But for houses of worship everywhere, the pandemic has changed the ways followers can tithe. NBC News, 23 Dec. 2020 Some members are now asking why details about the fund have been tightly held for so long, what the money is for, and whether tithing so much to the church should still be the standard practice. Rachael Levy, WSJ, 8 Feb. 2020 The church also owns real estate worth billions of dollars, according to the complaint, which focuses on surplus tithing money and says that the church may have additional holdings not managed by Ensign. Anchorage Daily News, 17 Dec. 2019 Europeans who were employed by the studios would tithe 1% of their earnings to the fund, which dispensed stipends to needy émigrés. Scott Eyman, WSJ, 24 Jan. 2020 Mark Willes, Deseret Management's president and chief executive at the time, was reported to have said that no tithing money was used in the transaction. Anchorage Daily News, 17 Dec. 2019 Nativity’s 4,000 parishioners can tithe or donate by credit card, e-check, electronic funds transfer and even at electronic kiosks in the lobby. Jonathan M. Pitts, baltimoresun.com, 6 Dec. 2019 My daddy was a saver who rarely spent anything, saved everything, and fully tithed at church plus extra. Michelle Singletary, Washington Post, 27 June 2019 According to persistent rumors, after King Constantine was deposed, a small group of wealthy Greek families tithed, in effect, for his benefit. Michael Joseph Gross, Vanities, 27 Apr. 2018

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tithe.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Old English teogotha tenth; akin to Middle Low German tegede tenth, Old English tīen ten — more at ten

Verb

Middle English, from Old English teogothian, from teogotha tenth

First Known Use

Noun

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

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of tithe was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near tithe

Cite this Entry

“Tithe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tithe. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

tithe

1 of 2 verb
tithed; tithing
: to pay or give a tithe
tither noun

tithe

2 of 2 noun
: a tenth part (as of one's income) given especially as a contribution to a church
Etymology

Verb

Old English teogothian "to give a tenth part," from teogotha "tenth"

More from Merriam-Webster on tithe

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!