compassionate

[kuhm-pash-uh-nit, kuhm-pash-uh-neyt]

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.

verb (used with object)

compassionated, compassionating 

1. Archaic.,  to pity or have compassion for.

compassionate

/ kəmˈpæʃənət /

adjective

1. showing or having compassion

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

Other Word Forms

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of compassionate¹

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

Example Sentences

These accomplishments demonstrate how scientific rigor combined with compassionate leadership can transform struggling institutions into thriving centers of excellence.

Read more on Science Daily

But according to his family, friends and colleagues, the knowledge of life’s temporality was also what made Candy the kind, compassionate man he was.

Read more on Salon

The Whale and Dolphin Conservation, an animal welfare organisation, also wrote to Ford asking him to commission independent veterinary assessments of each whale so "that every individual receives a humane and compassionate outcome".

Read more on BBC

The National Museum of American History defines its mission as being “to empower people to create a just and compassionate future.”

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

It has been told to ensure residents' health and wellbeing needs were being accurately assessed, documented and met - and that there was skilled and compassionate leadership at all levels of the organisation.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• benevolent 
• charitable 
• humane 
• merciful 
• sympathetic 
• warm 
• warmhearted www.thesaurus.com

When To Use

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.