condolence
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of condolence
Explanation
A condolence is an expression of sympathy and sorrow to someone who has suffered a loss, like the letter of condolence you send to a faraway friend who has lost a loved one. The noun condolence comes from the Late Latin word condole, meaning “to suffer together.” When you offer your condolences to someone who has suffered a loss, you are saying that you share their sadness, that you are there to support and help them. Don't confuse condolence with consolation, which is an attempt to make the person feel better.
Vocabulary lists containing condolence
Esperanza Rising
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Bush's Address on 9/11
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Maus I: My Father Bleeds History
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
They've also received a letter of condolence from Sir Ed Davey.
From BBC • Jun. 6, 2026
A small but poignant item: the condolence card sent to Carrie by Samantha Jones, her estranged friend played by Kim Cattrall, who made a brief but impactful appearance in the reboot.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 28, 2026
The condolence video was released after an Air Canada plane collided with a fire truck at LaGuardia airport in New York shortly after landing, killing Forest and another pilot, Mackenzie Gunther.
From BBC • Mar. 30, 2026
Candles have now been banned from the memorial, while the book of condolence, saved from the fire, is now inside a nearby chapel.
From Barron's • Feb. 11, 2026
I’m glad of that, glad that Jim Daly’s letter of condolence is one to a wife, not a mother.
From "Orphan Train" by Christina Baker Kline
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
