empathetic

[em-puh-thet-ik]

See more synonyms for empathetic on Thesaurus.com

adjective

of, relating to, or characterized by empathy, the psychological identification with the feelings, thoughts, or attitudes of others: a sensitive, empathetic school counselor.

Also em·path·ic

[em-path-ik] /ɛmˈpæθ ɪk/.

Origin of empathetic

First recorded in 1930–35; empath(y) + -etic

Related formsem·pa·thet·i·cal·ly, em·path·i·cal·ly, adverbnon·em·path·ic, adjectivenon·em·path·i·cal·ly, adverb

Can be confusedempathetic sympathetic simpatico

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for empathic

Contemporary Examples

The writing is, at turns, poignant, lively, empathic, and full of wit.
The Day the Fairytale Died
Marilyn Johnson
July 12, 2014
I think there has to be an empathic strike between the reader and the protagonist.
How I Write: Michael Connelly
Noah Charney
January 8, 2014
But the desire to nurture is born from blinding selfishness and little or no empathic capacity.
Convicted Baby-Snatcher Ann Pettway Was Blinded by Selfishness, Doctors Say
Lizzie Crocker
August 1, 2012
That's right—Assange turns out to be an empathic and talented listener, at least when he's hosting a TV show.
I Love the Julian Assange Show!
Tracy Quan
July 3, 2012
It is an empathic style that earned Blume the devotion of Generation X just as those kids came of age and began craving a guide.
Judy Blume Makes a Movie
Gina Piccalo
October 20, 2010

Historical Examples

Had a virtually complete case of empathic paralysis when he came to us.
Final Weapon
Everett B. Cole
And the mountain in question, seen from one double its height, will suggest the empathic activity of spreading itself out.
The Beautiful
Vernon Lee
But he did feel the wave of emotion that welled from her, impinging directly on his empathic sense.
Sense of Obligation
Henry Maxwell Dempsey (AKA Harry Harrison)
In the empathic paradigm, the subjectivity of the other is "assumed to be as whole and valid as that of the caregiver" (p. 68).
Nursing as Caring
Anne Boykin
Gadow's contrasting paradigms, empathic and philanthropic, are relevant to this understanding.
Nursing as Caring
Anne Boykin

British Dictionary definitions for empathic

empathic

empathetic (ˌɛmpəˈθɛtɪk)

adjective

of or relating to empathy

Derived Formsempathically or empathetically, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for empathic

adj.

1909, from empathy + -ic. Related: Empathically.

empathetic

adj.

1932, in psychology, from empathy on model of sympathetic and to distinguish it from empathic. Related: Empathetically.

empathetic

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}empathetic

Examples from the Web for empathic

Contemporary Examples

The writing is, at turns, poignant, lively, empathic, and full of wit.

I think there has to be an empathic strike between the reader and the protagonist.

But the desire to nurture is born from blinding selfishness and little or no empathic capacity.

That's right—Assange turns out to be an empathic and talented listener, at least when he's hosting a TV show.

It is an empathic style that earned Blume the devotion of Generation X just as those kids came of age and began craving a guide.

Historical Examples

Had a virtually complete case of empathic paralysis when he came to us.

And the mountain in question, seen from one double its height, will suggest the empathic activity of spreading itself out.

But he did feel the wave of emotion that welled from her, impinging directly on his empathic sense.

In the empathic paradigm, the subjectivity of the other is "assumed to be as whole and valid as that of the caregiver" (p. 68).

Gadow's contrasting paradigms, empathic and philanthropic, are relevant to this understanding.

empathic

empathetic (ˌɛmpəˈθɛtɪk)

Word Origin and History for empathic

adj.

empathetic

adj.

Origin of empathetic