adjective
- generous in donations or gifts to relieve the needs of indigent, ill, or helpless persons, or of animals: a charitable man giving much money to feed the poor.
- kindly or lenient in judging people, acts, etc.: charitable in his opinions of others.
- pertaining to or concerned with charity: a charitable institution.
adjective
- generous in giving to the needy
- kind or lenient in one’s attitude towards others
- concerned with or involving charity
c.1200, in reference to the Christian virtue, from Old French charitable, from charité (see charity). Meaning “liberal in treatment of the poor” is from c.1400; that of “inclined to impute favorable motives to others” is from 1620s. Related: Charitableness; charitably.