English · Word Candidate

compassion

/kəmˈpæʃ.ən/

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Also seen as: compassions

Sense 1

Meaning · English

Deep awareness of the suffering of others that people have to the point of them being motivated to relieve such states.

Noun

Examples

Oh! the unspeakable privilege to have Him for our Father, who is the Father of mercies and compassions, and those not barren, fruitless pityings, for He is withal the God of all consolations.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Meaning · English

Deep awareness of the individual experiences of suffering of others or themselves that people have to the point of them being motivated to relieve such experiences, as reflected by the psychological term self-compassion.

Noun

Examples

Similarly to the practice of loving kindness, meditation on compassion towards our own experience builds the foundation for expansion of the circle of compassion towards others.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “compassion” mean?

Deep awareness of the suffering of others that people have to the point of them being motivated to relieve such states.

Is “compassion” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.