empathy

[ em-puh-thee ]

noun

1. the psychological identification with or vicarious experiencing of the emotions, thoughts, or attitudes of another:

   She put an arm around her friend’s shoulders and stood by her in silent empathy.

2. the imaginative ascribing to an object, as a natural object or work of art, feelings or attitudes present in oneself:

   By means of empathy, a great painting becomes a mirror of the self.

empathy

/ ˈɛmpəθɪ /

noun

1. the power of understanding and imaginatively entering into another person's feelings See also identification
2. the attribution to an object, such as a work of art, of one's own emotional or intellectual feelings about it

empathy

1. Identifying oneself completely with an object or person, sometimes even to the point of responding physically, as when, watching a baseball player swing at a pitch, one feels one's own muscles flex.

Derived Forms

• ˈempathist, noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of empathy¹

First recorded in 1900–05; from Greek empátheia “affection,” equivalent to em- “in, within” ( em- ² ) + path- (base of páschein “to suffer”) + -eia noun suffix ( -ia ); its present meaning translates German Einfühlung

Word History and Origins

Origin of empathy¹

C20: from Greek empatheia affection, passion, intended as a rendering of German Einfühlung, literally: a feeling in; see en- ², -pathy

Synonym Study

See sympathy.

Example Sentences

“I lived in New York for seven years, and in those seven years, the Yankees won the World Series four times. And I was miserable the whole time. That really just hardened my soul. My soul in this area is black and tarred over. I have no empathy. It’s the only place in my life where I feel really dark and evil.”

From Los Angeles Times

They have a remarkable tolerance for crass and bullying behavior, care little for empathy and ethics, and are incapable of weighing basic facts about public life.

From Salon

The ugly future can be seen with Trump’s people making threats and promises of no empathy and “rough justice,” statements like “your body, my choice,” threats of imprisonment for political opponents and prosecutors, and his promise that “We’re not messing around this time.”

From Salon

Kensington Palace said the service would provide "a moment to reflect upon the importance of love and empathy, and how much we need each other, especially in the most difficult times of our lives".

From BBC

"The service will shine a light on individuals from all over the UK who have shown love, kindness and empathy towards others in their communities," it said.

From BBC

Related Words

• affinity
• compassion
• identification
• insight
• pity
• rapport
• understanding
• warmth