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empathy

em·pa·thy [ émpəthee ]

noun

Definition:

1. understanding of another's feelings: the ability to identify with and understand somebody else's feelings or difficulties

2. attribution of feelings to an object: the transfer of somebody's own feelings and emotions to an object such as a painting

[Early 20th century. < Greek empatheia "affection, passion"]

em·pa·thet·ic [ èmpə théttik ] adjective

em·pa·thet·i·cal·ly adverb

em·path·ic [ em páthik ] adjective

em·path·i·cal·ly adverb

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