Word
charitable
Phoneticschar·i·ta·ble, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈtʃæɹətəbəɫ/
UK/tʃˈæɹɪtəbəl/
Definitions
01helping people in need
B2 · Upper Intermediate
adj. relating to organisations that help people who are poor, sick, or in need.
adj. relating to the assistance of those in need or the formal status of a non-profit organisation.
“The school held a bake sale to raise money for a charitable cause.”
“The foundation maintains its charitable status by proving that its primary activities provide a clear benefit to the public rather than private shareholders.”
Usage
Often used before a noun to describe organisations, donations, or work.
Synonyms
Antonyms
02kind and forgiving
C1 · Advanced Formal
adj. being kind and generous when you judge other people's actions or words.
adj. characterised by kindness or leniency in judging others; disposed to think well of people.
Español:caritativo
“He gave a charitable interpretation of her mistake, saying she was just tired.”
“Even a charitable reading of the report suggests that the management team was significantly underprepared for the crisis.”
Teaching tip
In modern English, this sense is often used when someone is trying to be 'nice' about a bad situation or a poor performance.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Real-World Examples
“The Tata Group is uniquely structured - a charitable arm called Tata Trusts owns 66% of the group's parent company, Tata Sons.” “That is, they need to work for the government at any level, including public schools, or at any charitable nonprofit .” Etymology
From Old French charitable.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
- アルファベット
- 読み方の一覧 →
QR code
englishreference.com/q/charitable
Traducciones: Kaikki.org (Wiktionary), CC BY-SA 4.0