Meaning

noun a foundation created to promote the public good (not for assistance to any particular individuals)

noun a kindly and lenient attitude toward people

noun an activity or gift that benefits the public at large

originFrom charity in the Biblical sense of Christian love; first used by Puritans. In early Christian tradition, Faith, Hope and Charity were the martyred daughters of Saint Sophia. The names, taken from 1 Corinthians 13:13 ("And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity") have been translated and used in many languages. The name of the sura (chapter) is one…

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 3.0