compassion

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   A strong feeling of sympathy for people who are suffering, together with a wish to help them.

   She treats every patient with great kindness and compassion.

2. 2
   verb

   To feel pity or sympathy for someone.

   He could not help but compassion the homeless families he passed each day.

From Middle English compassioun, compassion, from Old French compassion, from Ecclesiastical Latin compassio (“sympathy”), from Latin compati, past participle compassus (“to suffer together with”), from com- (“together”) + pati (“to suffer”); see passion.

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