condolence
condolence Lexical Profile
condolence Game Scores & Validity
• noun
An expression of sympathy and sorrow offered to someone who is experiencing grief, especially following the death of a relative or close friend (usually used in the plural).
"Friends and colleagues sent letters of condolence to the family after hearing the sad news."
A feeling of compassionate sorrow or shared grief for another person's misfortune or loss.
"She spoke with genuine condolence as she comforted her grieving neighbor."
Word Nuance & Usage
When expressing sympathy directly to a bereaved person, this word is almost always used in its plural form, "condolences" (e.g., "offer one's condolences"), whereas the singular form is typically used as a modifier before another noun (e.g., "a condolence card").
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the early 17th century from French condoléance, derived from Late Latin condolere ('to suffer together' or 'feel sympathy'), from com- ('with, together') and dolere ('to grieve, feel pain').