Alms are gifts of money, food, or other help given to people who are poor or in need. The word comes from an ancient tradition of charitable giving that appears in many religions and cultures throughout history.

When someone gives alms, they're not making a business deal or expecting something in return. A person might give alms to someone begging on the street, or a religious community might collect alms to distribute to families struggling to afford food. In medieval times, monks would go alms-seeking, asking for donations to support their work helping the poor and sick.

You might hear the old-fashioned phrase alms for the poor, which was once a common request. Today, we're more likely to use words like “charity” or “donation,” but alms carries a particular sense of directly helping individuals in immediate need.

The related word almshouse refers to a place where poor people could live for free, supported by charitable donations. These were common before modern social services existed.