[1] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

compassion \compas"sion\, n. f., fr. l. compassio, fr. compati
   to have compassion; com- + pati to bear, suffer. see
   patient.
   literally, suffering with another; a sensation of sorrow
   excited by the distress or misfortunes of another; pity;
   commiseration.
   1913 webster

         womanly ingenuity set to work by womanly compassion.
                                                  --macaulay.

   syn: pity; sympathy; commiseration; fellow-feeling; mercy;
        condolence. see pity.
        1913 webster
see also:
patient pity 

[2] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

compassion \compas"sion\, v. t.
   to pity. obs. --shak.
   1913 webster

[3] : WordNet (r) 2.0

compassion
     n 1: a deep awareness of and sympathy for another's suffering
          syn: compassionateness
     2: the humane quality of understanding the suffering of others
        and wanting to do something about it syn: pity
see also:
compassionateness pity 

[4] : Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0

66 moby thesaurus words for "compassion":
   acceptance, affectionateness, benevolence, benignancy, benignity,
   brotherhood, charity, clemency, clementness, commiseration,
   condolence, easiness, easygoingness, empathy, favor, feeling,
   feeling of kinship, fellow feeling, forbearance, forbearing,
   forgiveness, fraternal feeling, gentleness, goodness,
   goodness of heart, grace, graciousness, heart of gold, humaneness,
   humanity, kindheartedness, kindliness, kindly disposition,
   kindness, laxness, lenience, leniency, lenientness, lenity,
   loving kindness, mercifulness, mercy, mildness, mitigation,
   moderateness, niceness, pardon, pathos, patience, pity, quarter,
   relief, reprieve, rue, ruth, self-pity, softheartedness, softness,
   soul of kindness, sympathy, tenderheartedness, tenderness,
   tolerance, warmheartedness, warmth, warmth of heart

Compassion >> C Words
Compassion, definition of term: Compassion
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