Condolence

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /kənˈdoʊləns/

Definitions

1. A sentiment conveyed to indicate empathy and support for someone dealing with grief or a significant loss
2. A gesture or message expressing compassion and solidarity with individuals experiencing sorrow due to death or misfortune
3. An expression offered to show sympathy to someone who has experienced a death or serious misfortune

Etymology: The root of "condolence" is a Latin verb, "condoleō," built from "con-" ("together, with") and "doleō" ("to hurt, suffer, have pain"). Its literal sense is closer to suffering alongside someone than to offering sympathy from a distance, which is what the word carries today. English took the noun through Middle French "condoléance," and the word is also often analysed as "condole" plus the noun-forming suffix "-ence." The verb "condole" is the shorter form that sits behind it, so the two routes meet at the same Latin source rather than competing with each other. The sense of shared pain is still visible in the word. A condolence is less a comment on someone's grief than an acknowledgement that the grief is being felt by more than one person.

Synonyms: sympathy, compassion

Antonyms: indifference, apathy