charitable

adjective

char·​i·​ta·​ble ˈcher-ə-tə-bəl 

ˈcha-rə-

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

ˈcher-ə-tə-blē 

ˈcha-rə-

adverb

Synonyms of charitable

• philanthropic
• humanitarian
• benevolent

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 on the Web

For those outside the echo chamber of tech, though, responses to the merch have been less charitable. — T.m. Brown, CNN Money, 17 Aug. 2026

Over the years, however, the foundation has become something much bigger than a charitable initiative. — Sergey Stopnevich, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026

It was formally closed in 2012, and a year later, management of its assets was transferred to The Royal Foundation, the charitable organization that Prince Harry and his brother, Prince William, established in 2009. — Diego Parrado, Vanity Fair, 16 Aug. 2026

In the case of Prince William and Kate Middleton, and also Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, some people like to compare their charitable contributions. — Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 16 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing charitable

• charitable gift

Rhymes for charitable

• uncharitable

Kids Definition

charitable

adjective

char·​i·​ta·​ble ˈchar-ət-ə-bəl 

1

: freely giving money or help to poor and needy persons : generous

2

: given for the needy : of service to the needy

charitable funds

a charitable institution

3

: kindly in judging other people

charitableness noun

charitably

-blē 

adverb

Legal Definition

charitable

adjective

char·​i·​ta·​ble

: of or relating to charity

charitable contributions