compassionate

American  

[kuhm-pash-uh-nit, kuhm-pash-uh-neyt] / kəmˈpæʃ ə nɪt, kəmˈpæʃ əˌneɪt /

adjective

1. having or showing compassion.

   a compassionate person; a compassionate letter.

   Synonyms:

   tender, sympathetic, pitying

2. granted in an emergency.

   compassionate military leave granted to attend a funeral.

3. Obsolete. pitiable.

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verb (used with object)

compassionated, compassionating

1. Archaic. to pity or have compassion for.

compassionate British  

/ kəmˈpæʃənət /

adjective

1. showing or having compassion

2. leave granted, esp to a serviceman, on the grounds of bereavement, family illness, etc

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Usage

What does compassionate mean? Compassionate means having compassion—a feeling of sympathy or pity for others, especially one that makes you want to help them. Being compassionate typically means you care and you want to help. The word can describe a person, their actions, or a situation that involves or is based on compassion. The word compassion is sometimes used interchangeably with sympathy, and compassionate is sometimes used to mean sympathetic, which most most commonly means sharing emotions with someone else, especially sadness. These words are all used in the context of feeling sorry for people who are in negative situations. But being compassionate is often understood as having a feeling that motivates you to help them. The opposite of being compassionate is being uncompassionate—indifferent or cold-hearted. The word compassionate can also be used in a more specific way to mean granted in circumstances that call for compassion. The word is used this way in the phrase compassionate leave, which refers to permission to be absent, such as from military duty, due to a death or illness in the family or other personal reasons. Example: We should be compassionate toward others because that’s how we want to be treated.

Other Word Forms

• compassionately
  adverb
• compassionateness
  noun
• uncompassionate
  adjective
• uncompassionately
  adverb
• uncompassionateness
  noun

Etymology

Origin of compassionate

First recorded in 1580–90; compassion + -ate ¹

Explanation

If you are compassionate, you feel other people's pain and struggles as though they were your own. Compassionate people are often moved to work to end the suffering of others, perhaps by feeding the hungry or educating the poor. Compassionate comes from the Old French noun compassion, which means "sympathy, pity." The adjective, pronounced "cuhm-PASH-uh-nuht," means "sympathetic," like a compassionate friend who shares in your joys and sadnesses, wanting the best for you. As a verb, compassionate, here pronounced "cuhm-PASH-uh-nate," means "pity," as in your ability to compassionate with stray dogs and cats.

Example Sentences

“Somehow the general public doesn’t quite seem to understand that there are different hospices,” said Jennifer Moore Ballentine, chief executive of Coalition for Compassionate Care of California.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 25, 2026

My office has approved every single Compassionate Use request that has come to us, and we are constantly thinking of ways to remove barriers that discourage companies from participating.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 23, 2026

A new Marie Curie report called Compassionate School Communities is based on the views of pupils, parents and teachers.

From BBC • Nov. 21, 2024

“Solidarity with Morocco and our friends, the Moroccan people after the night’s terrible quake. Compassionate thoughts for the victims and their families and admiration for the work of rescue crews who relentlessly help the injured.”

From Reuters • Sep. 9, 2023

And after Mr. Shears had gone to work she made a telephone call to the office and took what is called Compassionate Leave, which is when someone in your family dies or is ill.

From "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time" by Mark Haddon

Related Words

• benevolent
• charitable
• humane
• merciful
• sympathetic
• warm
• warmhearted