Alms (, ) or
almsgiving involves giving to others as an act of virtue, either materially or in the sense of providing capabilities (e.g. education) for free. It exists in a number of religions and regions. The word, in the modern English language, comes from the
Old English ælmesse,
ælmes, from
Late Latin eleemosyna, from
Greek ἐλεημοσύνη
eleēmosynē "pity, alms", from ἐλεήμων
eleēmōn "merciful", from ἔλεος
eleos "pity".