charity

charity

noun

Definition of CHARITY

1

the giving of necessities and especially money to the needy <after amassing a fortune in the computer industry, the brothers devoted themselves to charity>

Synonyms almsgiving, dole, philanthropy

Related Words altruism, do-gooding, do-goodism, humanism, humanitarianism; beneficence, benevolence, goodwill; alms, benefaction, contribution, donation; relief, welfare; endowment, fund, grant, subsidy

2

a gift of money or its equivalent to a charity, humanitarian cause, or public institution <donated his mansion and all of its land as a charity to the people of his beloved home state>

Synonyms alms, benefaction, beneficence, charity, donation, philanthropy

Related Words offering, tithe; bequest, endowment, legacy; aid, assistance, dole, handout, relief, welfare; grant, subsidy; benevolence, bestowal, largesse (also largess), present, presentation

3

kind, gentle, or compassionate treatment especially towards someone who is undeserving of it <can't you show a little charity to a guy who's the first to admit he's not perfect?>

Synonyms charity, clemency, forbearance, lenience, leniency, lenity, mercifulness, quarter

Related Words humanitarianism, philanthropy; empathy, pity, sympathy, understanding; commiseration, favor, grace; benevolence, care, compassion, gentleness, goodness, goodwill, humaneness, kindliness, kindness, meekness, mildness, niceness, softness, tenderness; altruism, generosity, magnanimity, nobility; affection, devotion, love, worship

Near Antonyms hard-heartedness, mercilessness, pitilessness, ruthlessness, uncharitableness; reprisal, requital, retaliation, retribution, revenge, vengeance; venom, vindictiveness, virulence, vitriol; atrocity, barbarity, brutality, cruelty, sadism, savageness, savagery, truculence, viciousness, violence, wantonness; castigation, chastisement, discipline, punishment, scolding; abhorrence, abomination, detestation, execration, hate, hatred, loathing; cattiness, malevolence, malice, maliciousness, malignancy, malignity, meanness, nastiness, spite, spitefulness, spleen; animosity, antagonism, antipathy, bitterness, enmity, gall, grudge, hostility, jealousy, pique, resentment; bile, jaundice, rancor; hatefulness, invidiousness; coarseness, hardness, harshness, roughness

4

the capacity for feeling for another's unhappiness or misfortune <his charity is such that he's a sucker for every panhandler's tale of woe>

Synonyms bigheartedness, charity, commiseration, compassion, feeling, good-heartedness, humanity, kindheartedness, kindliness, kindness, largeheartedness, mercy, pity, ruth, softheartedness, sympathy, warmheartedness

Related Words feelings, responsiveness, sensibility, sensitivity; affection, love, regard; affinity, empathy, rapport; altruism, benevolence, benignancy, benignity, generosity, goodwill, humaneness, humanism, humanitarianism, philanthropy

Near Antonyms callousness, coldness, disinterest, indifference, unconcern; cruelty, harshness; animosity, antipathy, dislike, hatred, hostility

Antonyms coldheartedness, hard-heartedness, inhumanity, inhumanness, mercilessness, pitilessness

5

kindly concern, interest, or support <Lincoln's famous promise that the period of Reconstruction would be marked by “charity for all”>

Synonyms amity, benevolence, brotherhood, charity, cordiality, cordialness, fellowship, friendliness, friendship, gemütlichkeit, good-fellowship, kindliness, neighborliness

Related Words bonhomie, camaraderie, collegiality, community, companionship, company, comradeship; civility, comity, concord, harmony, rapport, rapprochement; charity, generosity; affinity, communion, empathy, kindness, sympathy, tolerance; altruism, philanthropy, selflessness, unselfishness

Near Antonyms disfavor, intolerance; animosity, antagonism, antipathy, enmity, hate, hatred, hostility, incivility, malice, rancor; belligerency, quarrelsomeness, querulousness

Antonyms ill will, malevolence, venom