condolence
Americannoun
-
condolences
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
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.
See Examples For:
It has been two years since Ysa’s death, and Ferrante continues to get condolence messages in response to her request.
From Slate ● Jul. 19, 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
Despite posting statements and condolence messages in his name, they have yet to offer and new images or proof of life.
From Barron's ● Apr. 7, 2026
The CEO of Air Canada, Michael Rousseau, issued a condolence video, and we have been united in sadness ever since.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 1, 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
The country's Prime Minister Péter Magyar offered his "sincere condolences" to the families of the victims and wished those injured a speedy recovery.
From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026
Koizumi left the shrine without responding to reporters' questions, but he later said on Instagram that he visited to "offer his sincere condolences to the heroic spirits who sacrificed their precious lives for the nation."
From Barron's ● Aug. 15, 2026
The singer's death has prompted an outpouring of condolences, with the community council organising a book of memories at the Ostreme centre.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
“The Dodgers express our deep sorrow and share our condolences over the passing of longtime fan Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele,” the team posted Dec. 15 on X.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 2026
And that was a relief too, because it was as if he had been hearing, through their apologies and condolences and cards and flowers and food and tears, something else they weren’t saying.
From "Nine, Ten: A September 11 Story" by Nora Raleigh Baskin
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.
