Meaning & use
charitable
Last updated
Meanings
adjectivecomparable
Generous in giving money or help to people in need.
Grammar: Used before a noun or after a linking verb like 'be' or 'seem'.
Patterns
- charitable to someone
- charitable toward someone
She is very charitable and donates to several local shelters.
The charitable organization provides meals for homeless people.
He made a charitable donation to the school fund.
adjectivecomparable
Willing to think kindly of others and not judge them harshly.
Grammar: Often used in phrases like 'a charitable view' or 'be charitable to someone'.
Patterns
- a charitable view of something
- be charitable to someone
Try to be charitable and assume she didn't mean to be rude.
He took a charitable view of his colleague's mistake.
adjectivebefore a noun
Relating to an organization that helps people and is not run for profit.
Grammar: Used before nouns like 'trust', 'organization', or 'status'.
Patterns
- charitable organization
- charitable status
The group has charitable status, so donations are tax-deductible.
She works for a charitable trust that supports education.
Word forms
| comparative | more charitable |
|---|---|
| superlative | most charitable |
Common combinations
- charitable donation
- He made a charitable donation to the animal shelter.
- charitable organization
- The charitable organization helps families in need.
- charitable trust
- They set up a charitable trust to fund scholarships.
- charitable view
- She took a charitable view of his late arrival.
Synonyms and how they differ
- generous
- Generous is broader and can mean giving time, money, or praise; charitable often suggests giving to those in need or being forgiving.
- benevolent
- Benevolent is more formal and describes a kind, caring attitude; charitable can also mean giving to charity.
- kind
- Kind is a general word for nice behavior; charitable specifically means giving help or thinking forgivingly.
Opposites
Word family
- charity noun
- An organization that helps people, or the act of giving help.
- charitably adverb
- In a kind and generous way, or in a way that thinks well of others.
- uncharitable adjective
- Not generous or not kind in judgment.
Commonly confused: charitable or charity?
charitable vs charity
Charity is a noun; charitable is an adjective. You say 'a charitable act' but 'give to charity'.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'charitable' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Charitable' is an adjective, so it describes a person or thing (e.g., 'He is very charitable'). Option A uses it as a noun, C uses it as a verb, and D uses it as a noun, which are all incorrect.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “charitable”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.