charitable

play

adjective char·i·ta·ble \ ˈcher-ə-tə-bəl , ˈcha-rə- \

Definition of charitable

1 :full of love for and goodwill toward others :benevolent

2 a :liberal in benefactions to the needy :generous

b :of or relating to charity

charitable institutions

3 :merciful or kind in judging others :lenient

—

charitableness

noun

—

charitably

play \-blē\ adverb

See charitable defined for English-language learners

See charitable defined for kids

Examples of charitable in a Sentence

She makes a charitable donation every year.
He performs charitable work to help the poor.
They give money to charitable causes.
She has tried to be charitable about her sister's problems.
Half of the class has a chance at passing the test, and that is a charitable estimate.

Recent Examples of charitable from the Web

In the past year, Kaepernick has spoken out against police brutality, publicly commemorated Black freedom fighters, and made at least $800,000 worth of charitable organizations out-of-pocket donations, according to the Colin Kaepernick Foundation.

— mankaprr conteh, Essence.com, "How Black Women Supporting Colin Kaepernick May Force The NFL's Hand," 23 Aug. 2017
That would be a charitable interpretation — something West has never once offered the Right — but a false one.

— elliot kaufman, National Review, "When Every Republican Is a Crypto-Nazi," 21 Aug. 2017
Diana's support for an international treaty banning landmines—and her public work with groups seeking to eradicate them—was seen at the time as a political stance, not merely a charitable one.

— caroline hallemann, Town & Country, "Why Princess Diana's Fight Against Landmines Was So Groundbreaking," 18 Aug. 2017
The Good Housekeeping Humanitarian Seal was developed to give consumers that same confidence when choosing to support a charitable organization.

— Good Housekeeping, "The Good Housekeeping Humanitarian Seal: Frequently Asked Questions," 4 Aug. 2017
Gates, who created the Giving Pledge with Buffett to encourage billionaires to give at least half of their wealth to charitable causes, had given away $31.1 billion over the course of his lifetime through [the] end of 2016.

— bess levin, The Hive, "Jeff Bezos Just Became the World’s Richest Man at the Worst Possible Time," 27 July 2017
Brooks said the plaques are also a way for Rancho Bernardans to support the foundation’s charitable efforts in the community without becoming a foundation member.

— elizabeth marie himchak, Rancho Bernardo, "Honor someone with a Pathway of Pride plaque," 19 July 2017
The company channels 12 percent of its profits into charitable causes.

— anna webb, idahostatesman, "A 2013 ‘Shark Tank’ appearance is still paying off for Boise’s Proof Eyewear," 19 July 2017
A murky charitable foundation run by the family of Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov is restoring Aleppo’s landmark mosque.

— nataliya vasilyeva, The Seattle Times, "Chechnya becoming major player in rebuilding war-torn Syria," 18 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'charitable.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of charitable

14th century

charitable Synonyms

Synonyms

altruistic, beneficent, benevolent, do-good, eleemosynary, good, humanitarian, philanthropic (also philanthropical)

Antonyms

self-centered, self-concerned, selfish

Related Words

selfless, self-sacrificing; bighearted, bounteous, bountiful, free, freehanded, generous, greathearted, handsome, liberal, magnanimous, munificent, openhanded, openhearted, unselfish, unsparing; compassionate, humane, kind, kindhearted; social-minded

Near Antonyms

self-indulgent, self-seeking; cheap, closefisted, miserly, niggardly, parsimonious, stingy, tight, tightfisted; hard-hearted, pitiless, unfeeling; self-obsessed

CHARITABLE Defined for English Language Learners

charitable

play

adjective

Definition of charitable for English Language Learners

: done or designed to help people who are poor, sick, etc.
: showing kindness in talking about or judging other people : not very critical

CHARITABLE Defined for Kids

charitable

play

adjective char·i·ta·ble \ ˈcher-ə-tə-bəl \

Definition of charitable for Students

1 :freely giving money or help to needy persons :generous

2 :given for the needy :of service to the needy

charitable donations

charitable organizations

3 :kindly especially in judging other people

Law Dictionary

charitable

adjective char·i·ta·ble

legal Definition of charitable

:of or relating to charity

charitable contributions

Learn More about charitable

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for charitable Spanish Central: Translation of charitable Nglish: Translation of charitable for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of charitable for Arabic speakers

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up charitable? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

charitable

Definition of charitable

charitableness

charitably

Explore M-W

Examples of charitable in a Sentence

Recent Examples of charitable from the Web

First Known Use of charitable

charitable Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

Phrases Related to CHARITABLE

Related Phrases

CHARITABLE Defined for English Language Learners

charitable

Definition of charitable for English Language Learners

CHARITABLE Defined for Kids

charitable

Definition of charitable for Students

Law Dictionary

charitable

legal Definition of charitable

Learn More about charitable

Seen and Heard

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games

'So Long': A Common But Mysterious Goodbye

9 Slang Words With Academic Origins

Trending: 'Bodega' Startup Draws Criticism, Mockery

Challenging Vocabulary Quiz Returns!

Words of the Year: 1066