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as in philanthropy
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 & Similar Words

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as in contribution
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 & Similar Words

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Synonym Chooser

How does the noun charity differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of charity are clemency, grace, leniency, and mercy. While all these words mean "a disposition to show kindness or compassion," charity stresses benevolence and goodwill shown in broad understanding and tolerance of others.

show a little charity for the less fortunate

When is clemency a more appropriate choice than charity?

The meanings of clemency and charity largely overlap; however, clemency implies a mild or merciful disposition in one having the power or duty of punishing.

the judge refused to show clemency

When is it sensible to use grace instead of charity?

While in some cases nearly identical to charity, grace implies a benign attitude and a willingness to grant favors or make concessions.

by the grace of God

When can leniency be used instead of charity?

Although the words leniency and charity have much in common, leniency implies lack of severity in punishing.

criticized the courts for excessive leniency

When might mercy be a better fit than charity?

The synonyms mercy and charity are sometimes interchangeable, but mercy implies compassion that forbears punishing even when justice demands it.

threw himself on the mercy of the court

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of charity Also, doing stuff for charity and appreciating not only the baseball side but just as important, the business side. Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2025 Every year the tournament has grown in terms of number of teams, money raised for charity, and social media engagement. Erik Anderson, Boston Herald, 19 June 2025 Most importantly, the data proves that ownership trumps charity every time. Sughnen Yongo, Forbes.com, 18 June 2025 The tournament will also raise money for local and national charities. Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 16 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for charity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for charity
Noun
  • And if philanthropy is part of your legacy plan, don’t wait until death to give.
    Jamie Farmer, Forbes.com, 17 June 2025
  • By diversifying his philanthropy across healthcare, science, art, and education, Conte demonstrates a comprehensive approach to giving that addresses both immediate needs and long-term challenges.
    Jason Phillips, USA Today, 17 June 2025
Noun
  • In other words, the amount of money people believe is in the account—whether the total is based solely on the initial $1,000 deposit or on additional contributions—will be less than the actual balance.
    Noreen Sugrue, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025
  • Co-produced by Lorde and Jim-E Stack, Virgin also features contributions from Daniel Nigro, Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon, Blood Orange’s Devonté Hynes, Fabiana Palladino, Buddy Ross, and Inc.
    Madison Bloom, Pitchfork, 27 June 2025
Noun
  • Grapes are the primary ingredient in winemaking and the choice of yeast can be equally important, but until somewhat recently in wine’s 8,000-year history winemakers were completely at the mercy of the elements including the type of yeast that was already on their grapes and in their winery.
    Mike DeSimone, Robb Report, 17 June 2025
  • Although the firm has profited immensely as a traditional asset manager and has become an industry leader for ETFs, the division's revenue streams are still at the mercy of the stock market's volatility.
    Morgan Chittum, CNBC, 10 June 2025
Noun
  • Indeed, the designer’s intentions are based on high ideals — kindness, tolerance and humility among them — even if his methods can sometime shock.
    Miles Socha, Footwear News, 25 June 2025
  • Coach Wall was a remarkable individual whose kindness and genuine spirit touched all who knew him.
    Marni Rose McFall, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 June 2025
Noun
  • While promoting her Apple TV+ series Smoke at the Tribeca Festival in New York City, the actress, 44, told PEOPLE about her friendship with Anna Camp that blossomed while filming their new comedy Bride Hard.
    Raven Brunner, People.com, 20 June 2025
  • Earlier this week, SZA opened up to Chappell Roan about her friendship with Lizzo during a conversation for Interview Magazine.
    Stephen Daw, Billboard, 20 June 2025
Noun
  • Connelly frequently downplayed her reputation and aptitude for knowing how to ask for large donations from important individuals.
    Bob Goldsborough, Chicago Tribune, 22 June 2025
  • The gang is in existential crisis mode when they get thrown into a donation box and face their own mortality at a day care run by a sadistic teddy bear.
    Brian Truitt, USA Today, 21 June 2025
Noun
  • Ironically, this was the one episode where viewers were beginning to feel some sympathy for Ralphie, as his son got critically injured while roleplaying Lord of the Rings.
    Skyler Trepel, People.com, 10 June 2025
  • Communism was never discussed at meetings, but secret sympathies were difficult to sniff out.
    Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 June 2025
Noun
  • Appreciate Wilson’s technical brilliance but also the emotional generosity of his choral arrangements in which falsetto yearning is granted bass underpinning.
    Armond White, National Review, 18 June 2025
  • That is, generosity declined as social distance increased.
    Tobias Kalenscher, Scientific American, 13 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Charity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/charity. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.

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