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.
神社に供物をささげる。
I offer a votive offering at the shrine.
I placed an offering at the Buddhist altar and prayed with clasped hands.
During Obon, we make offerings to our ancestors.
We offered up offerings before the deity and prayed earnestly.
I brought fruit as an offering for the grave visit.
供え物 is a plain, descriptive word for something set out as an offering, whereas 供物 is the more formal, often written term used in religious contexts.
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.