Meaning & use
condolence
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Meaning
nounusually pluralformal
A message or gesture of sympathy given to someone who is mourning, especially after a death.
Grammar: Almost always condolences: offer my condolences; the singular is rare and formal.
Patterns
- offer condolences to someone
- condolences on something
- send your condolences
Please accept my condolences on the loss of your grandfather.
Neighbors came by to offer their condolences.
The president sent a message of condolence to the families.
Word forms
| plural | condolences |
|---|
Common combinations
- offer condolences
- We offer our deepest condolences.
- send condolences
- She sent condolences by letter.
- message of condolence
- A message of condolence arrived from the school.
- condolence card
- He signed the condolence card for the family.
- my condolences
- My condolences on your loss.
- express condolences
- The mayor expressed condolences to the victims' families.
Synonyms and how they differ
- sympathy
- Sympathy is wider and can refer to feeling sorry for anyone, while condolence is specifically for grief.
- commiseration
- Commiseration is sympathy shared over bad luck or disappointment, not usually a death.
- consolation
- Consolation is comfort given to ease sadness or disappointment, while condolence is the expression of sorrow.
Opposites
Word family
- condole verb
- to express sympathy to someone grieving
- condolent adjective
- expressing sympathy (rare)
- condolences noun
- expressions of sympathy
Commonly confused: condolence or consolation? condolence or congratulations?
condolence vs consolation
Consolation is what comforts you after a loss, while condolence is what others say to show they share your sorrow.
condolence vs congratulations
Congratulations expresses joy at good news, whereas condolences express sympathy for bad news.
Practice
After the funeral, many neighbors came to offer their ___ to the family.
Choose one answer.
Condolences are expressions of sympathy after a death. Congratulations is for good news and would be inappropriate.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “condolence”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.