# zakat

> English word · Noun · IPA /zəˈkɑːt/ · frequency rank #64,848

## Definitions
1. Almsgiving, usually in the form of an annual tax on certain types of property which is then used for charitable purposes; the third of the five pillars of Islam.

## Etymology
Borrowed from:
* Persian زکات (zakât);
* Turkish zekât, from Ottoman Turkish زكات (zekat); or
* Urdu زَکَات (zakāt);
all from Arabic زَكَاة (zakāh, “almsgiving, zakat; purification”), from زَكَوٰة (zakāh) (archaic), from Aramaic זכותא/ܙܟܘܬܐ (zākūṯā, “goodness, probity, uprightness; merit; victory”), from זכי (zəḵē, “to gain; to overcome, triumph over”).

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/zakat