Refers to items offered to gods, spirits, or ancestors in religious or ceremonial contexts, such as food, drink, or objects placed at altars or graves.
I offer a votive offering at the shrine.
During Obon, we make offerings to our ancestors.
I placed an offering at the Buddhist altar and prayed with clasped hands.
We offered up offerings before the deity and prayed earnestly.
I brought fruit as an offering for the grave visit.
捧げ物 emphasizes the act of reverently presenting something (to a deity or important person), while 供物 focuses on the offered item itself in a religious setting.
貢物 refers to tribute paid to a ruler or lord, while 供物 refers to a religious offering to gods, spirits, or ancestors, so despite the similar 物-ending they are not interchangeable.
altar; offering table
Compound of 供 (offer, present) and 物 (thing, object). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the kanji combination directly conveys the meaning of an offered item.