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

• altruistic
• beneficent
• benevolent
• do-good
• eleemosynary
• good
• humanitarian
• philanthropic
• philanthropical

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

The Center for Migration Studies, a think tank, found that there were 1,413 undocumented persons in the United States for every charitable legal professional. —Edgar Sandoval, New York Times, 19 May 2024

The foundation, with nearly $4 billion in charitable assets, is one of the largest community foundations in the U.S. Cathy Bessant, a former top leader at Bank of America before retiring in December, leads the foundation as CEO. —Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 16 May 2024

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing charitable

• charitable gift

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