Empathy, Empathetic and Empathetically
Empathy, empathetic, and empathetically stem from the Greek “empatheia,” meaning “feeling into” or deeply understanding another’s emotions. Empathy (n.) refers to the ability to share and comprehend the feelings, perspectives, or experiences of another person, often involving a deeper emotional connection than sympathy—e.g., “Her empathy allowed her to connect with the struggles of others.” Empathetic (adj.) describes someone who possesses or expresses this ability, as in “His empathetic response reassured his friend during a tough time.” Empathetically (adv.) describes actions performed with such understanding, e.g., “She spoke empathetically, mirroring their emotions to show she cared.” For example, “Through her empathy, she formed an empathetic bond with her clients, listening empathetically to their stories to provide meaningful support.”
Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another person by perceiving their emotional state from their perspective. It involves not just recognizing what someone else is feeling but also emotionally connecting with those feelings. The adjective “empathetic” describes someone who shows this capacity for understanding and sharing another’s emotions, while “empathetically” refers to acting in a way that expresses or demonstrates such understanding and compassion. Empathy can be divided into cognitive empathy (understanding another’s thoughts), emotional empathy (feeling what another feels), and compassionate empathy (taking action to alleviate another’s distress). Unlike sympathy, which involves feeling pity, empathy emphasizes an experiential connection and deeper emotional engagement with another’s experience.
Empathy is the ability to understand and share another person’s feelings by putting oneself in their situation, going beyond sympathy to truly connect with their emotional experience. Someone who is empathetic demonstrates this deep understanding and sensitivity, often recognizing unspoken emotions and responding with genuine care. When describing how such understanding is expressed, the adverb empathetically is used—for instance, speaking empathetically to someone means conveying words with compassion and emotional resonance. Together, these forms emphasize emotional intelligence, connection, and the capacity to relate to others on a profound level.
The words Empathy, Empathetic, and Empathetically all relate to the deep ability to understand and share in the feelings of another. Empathy is the noun, referring to the ability to understand and share the feelings of another—to essentially feel with them as if you were in their place. It’s a profound connection that goes beyond mere pity or concern. For instance, a trauma survivor often feels empathy for others going through a similar struggle. Empathetic is the adjective, describing a person or action that demonstrates this understanding and sharing of feelings. An empathetic leader can anticipate the emotional needs of their team. Lastly, Empathetically is the adverb, detailing an action performed in an empathetic manner, meaning with a deep, shared emotional understanding, such as listening empathetically to a friend’s painful story.
