charitable

charitable — adjective

1. involving the provision of money, goods, or assistance to people suffering from

1.形容詞B1
釋義

involving the provision of money, goods, or assistance to people suffering from poverty, illness, or other hardship, or relating to an organization that works for such purposes

例句

The Watanabe family makes a charitable donation to the animal shelter every spring.

collocation: charitable donation

A charitable organization in Nairobi provides meals for over two thousand schoolchildren each day.

charitable organization + of + [place]

同義詞
  • generous

    broader meaning — can refer to giving money, time, or praise, not limited to helping the needy

  • philanthropic

    more formal; usually describes large-scale giving by wealthy individuals or foundations

  • benevolent

    formal and emotional; suggests genuine kindness and goodwill toward others

反義詞
  • stingy

    informal; unwilling to give or share, even small amounts

  • miserly

    strongly negative; describes someone who hoards money and hates spending

  • uncharitable

    direct opposite; not generous or helpful

文法句型

charitable + noun (donation / organization / trust)

be + charitable

用法筆記

Often placed before nouns such as 'donation', 'organization', 'trust', or 'foundation'. Can also follow 'be' or 'seem' in predicative position, for example: 'The Lee family is very charitable.'

常見錯誤

❌She works for a charitable.
✅She works for a charity.
💡'charitable' is an adjective; use the noun 'charity' when referring to an organization.

2. showing kindness and understanding toward someone by being gentle in your judgme

2.形容詞B2
釋義

showing kindness and understanding toward someone by being gentle in your judgment of their behavior, mistakes, or faults, rather than criticizing them harshly

例句

The supervisor was charitable about the intern's error and gave her another chance to learn.

charitable about + [noun]

A charitable interpretation of his silence is that he did not want to offend anyone.

charitable interpretation of + [noun]

同義詞
  • forgiving

    emphasizes letting go of resentment rather than being gentle in judgment

  • lenient

    focuses on being less strict with rules or punishment

  • tolerant

    describes accepting differences without objecting, rather than judging mistakes kindly

反義詞
  • harsh

    severe and unkind in criticizing or punishing

  • critical

    too ready to find faults or express disapproval

  • uncharitable

    direct opposite; unwilling to see the good in someone's actions

文法句型

charitable about + [noun / gerund]

charitable toward + [person]

charitable view / interpretation of + [noun]

用法筆記

Commonly paired with prepositions 'about' and 'toward', or with nouns like 'view' and 'interpretation'. The focus is on leniency in passing judgment, not on general kindness.

常見錯誤

❌The judge was charitable to the young thief, giving him a small reward.
✅The judge was charitable to the young thief, giving him a light sentence.
💡'charitable' in this sense means lenient or forgiving, not generous with material rewards.