different between charity vs compassion

English

Etymology

From Middle English charite, from Old French charité, cherte, chariteit, cariteit, from Latin c?rit?s.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?t?æ??ti/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /?t????ti/

Noun

charity (countable and uncountable, plural charities)

1. (countable) An organization, the objective of which is to carry out a charitable purpose.
2. (countable) The goods or money given to those in need.
3. (uncountable) Benevolence to others less fortunate than ourselves; the providing of goods or money to those in need.
4. In general, an attitude of kindness and understanding towards others, now especially suggesting generosity.
   • July 20, 1677, John Mitchell Mason, letter to a friend

     Judge thyself with the judgment of sincerity, and thou witl judge others with the judgment of charity.

5. (archaic, Christianity) Christian love; representing God's love of man, man's love of God, or man's love of his fellow-men.

   Synonym: agape

   • Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil.

Synonyms

• (organization): charitable organization

Derived terms

Translations

Further reading

• "charity" in Raymond Williams, Keywords (revised), 1983, Fontana Press, page 54.

Anagrams

• chytrai

English

Etymology

From Middle English compassioun, compassion, from Old French compassion, from Ecclesiastical Latin compassio (“sympathy”), from Latin compati, past participle compassus (“to suffer together with”), from com- (“together”) + pati (“to suffer”); see passion.

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) IPA^(key): /k?m?pæ?.?n/
• Rhymes: -æ??n

Noun

compassion (usually uncountable, plural compassions)

1. Deep awareness of the suffering of another, coupled with the wish to relieve it.
   • 1849, Robert Leighton (Archbishop of Glasgow), A practical commentary upon the first Epistle of St. Peter (page 47)

     Oh! the unspeakable privilege to have Him for our Father, who is the Father of mercies and compassions, and those not barren, fruitless pityings, for He is withal the God of all consolations.

Synonyms

• (deep awareness of another's suffering): empathy, mercy, ruth, pity, sorrow, tenderheartedness
• (desire to relieve another's suffering): kindness, heart, mercy, ruth, tenderheartedness

Derived terms

• compassionable
• compassionate
• compassion fatigue

Related terms

• compatible
• passion

Translations

Verb

compassion (third-person singular simple present compassions, present participle compassioning, simple past and past participle compassioned)

1. (obsolete) To pity.
   • 1607, William Shakespeare, The Tragedy of Titus Andronicus, IV. i. 124:

     O heavens, can you hear a good man groan / And not relent, or not compassion him?

   • 1830, The Last of the Supernaturalists, in James Fraser (editor), Fraser's Magazine, Volume 1, page 226,

     Both wanted in early life the one thing essential to every individual, of whatever nature or degree of intellect, a kind, compassioning adviser; - a true friend; […] .

Further reading

• compassion in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• compassion in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Ecclesiastical Latin compassi?, compassi?nem, from Latin compatior.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /k??.pa.sj??/

Noun

compassion f (plural compassions)

1. compassion, pity

Related terms

• compatir
• passion

Further reading

• “compassion” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Middle English

Noun

compassion

1. Alternative form of compassioun