condolence

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US/kənˈdoʊləns/Philippines/ˈkɒndələns/

noun

Comfort, support or sympathy.

“I sent her a card expressing my condolences after her mother passed away.”

Similar
commiseration
OriginMiddle French condoléance ← Latin condoleō →
UncommonScrabble 15
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Meanings

nouncondolence (countable and uncountable, plural condolences)

plural condolences · alternative obsolete condoleance · alternative obsolete condolance

  1. uncountableComfort, support or sympathy.

    There was not much to do after the accident but offer what condolence I could.

  2. countableplural normallyAn expression of comfort, support, or sympathy offered to the family and friends of somebody who has died.

    I sent her a card expressing my condolences after her mother passed away.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounan expression of sympathy with another's grief

Similar
commiseration
Broader
acknowledgmentacknowledgement
Also see
commiseration

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Latincondoleō“to sympathize”
  2. Middle Frenchcondoléance
  3. Englishcondolence

From condole + -ence, or from Middle French condoléance, or formed from the root of Latin condoleō (“to sympathize”), from con- (“together, with”) and doleō (“to hurt, suffer, have pain”).

More words from Middle French, Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic تَأْسِيَة, تَعْزِيَة
  • تَأْسِيَة (taʔsiya)sympathy when someone has died — see also condolences
  • تَعْزِيَة (taʕziya)sympathy when someone has died — see also condolences
Bulgarian съчу́вствие, съболе́знования
  • съчу́вствие (săčúvstvie)comfort, support or sympathy — see also condolences
  • съболе́знования (săboléznovanija)sympathy when someone has died — see also condolences
Catalan condol
  • condolsympathy when someone has died — see also condolences
Chinese Mandarin 同情, 愛心 /爱心
  • 同情 (tóngqíng)comfort, support or sympathy — see also condolences
  • 愛心 /爱心 (àixīn)comfort, support or sympathy — see also condolences
  • 哀悼 (āidào)sympathy when someone has died — see also condolences
  • 吊慰 (diàowèi)sympathy when someone has died — see also condolences
Czech soustrast, kondolence
  • soustrastcomfort, support or sympathy — see also condolences
  • kondolencesympathy when someone has died — see also condolences
  • soustrastsympathy when someone has died — see also condolences
Danish kondolence
  • kondolencesympathy when someone has died — see also condolences
Dutch condoleance
  • condoleancesympathy when someone has died — see also condolences
Estonian kaastunne, kaastundeavaldus
  • kaastunnesympathy when someone has died — see also condolences
  • kaastundeavaldussympathy when someone has died — see also condolences
Finnish osanotto, myötätunto
  • osanottocomfort, support or sympathy — see also condolences
  • myötätuntocomfort, support or sympathy — see also condolences
  • pahoittelucomfort, support or sympathy — see also condolences
  • osanottosympathy when someone has died — see also condolences
  • surunvalittelusympathy when someone has died — see also condolences
French réconfort, condoléances
  • réconfortcomfort, support or sympathy — see also condolences
  • condoléancessympathy when someone has died — see also condolences
German Beileid, Anteilnahme
  • Beileidcomfort, support or sympathy — see also condolences
  • Anteilnahmecomfort, support or sympathy — see also condolences
  • Kondolenzsympathy when someone has died — see also condolences
Hungarian részvét
  • részvétsympathy when someone has died — see also condolences
Italian conforto, condoglianze
  • confortocomfort, support or sympathy — see also condolences
  • condoglianzesympathy when someone has died — see also condolences
Japanese 同情, お悔やみ
  • 同情 (dōjō)comfort, support or sympathy — see also condolences
  • お悔やみ (okuyami)sympathy when someone has died — see also condolences
  • 哀悼 (aitō)sympathy when someone has died — see also condolences
  • 弔意 (chōi)sympathy when someone has died — see also condolences
Korean 동정, 애도
  • 동정 (dongjeong)comfort, support or sympathy — see also condolences
  • 애도 (aedo)sympathy when someone has died — see also condolences
  • 조의 (joui)sympathy when someone has died — see also condolences
Norwegian Bokmål kondolanse
  • kondolansesympathy when someone has died — see also condolences
Polish współczucie, kondolencje
  • współczuciecomfort, support or sympathy — see also condolences
  • kondolencjesympathy when someone has died — see also condolences
Portuguese condolência, pêsame
  • condolênciasympathy when someone has died — see also condolences
  • pêsamesympathy when someone has died — see also condolences
Romanian compătimire, consolare
  • compătimirecomfort, support or sympathy — see also condolences
  • consolarecomfort, support or sympathy — see also condolences
  • condoleanțesympathy when someone has died — see also condolences
Russian сочу́вствие, соболе́знование
  • сочу́вствие (sočúvstvije)comfort, support or sympathy — see also condolences
  • соболе́знование (soboléznovanije)comfort, support or sympathy — see also condolences
  • соболе́знование (soboléznovanije)sympathy when someone has died — see also condolences
  • соболе́знования (soboléznovanija)sympathy when someone has died — see also condolences
Slovak sústrasť, kondolencia
  • sústrasťcomfort, support or sympathy — see also condolences
  • kondolenciasympathy when someone has died — see also condolences
  • sústrasťsympathy when someone has died — see also condolences
Spanish pésame, péname
  • pésamesympathy when someone has died — see also condolences
  • pénamesympathy when someone has died — see also condolences
  • condolenciasympathy when someone has died — see also condolences
Swedish kondoleans
  • kondoleanssympathy when someone has died — see also condolences
Tagalog hingaba, paghihingaba
  • hingabasympathy when someone has died — see also condolences
  • paghihingabasympathy when someone has died — see also condolences
  • pakikiramaysympathy when someone has died — see also condolences
Turkish başsağlığı, taziye
  • başsağlığısympathy when someone has died — see also condolences
  • taziyesympathy when someone has died — see also condolences
Ukrainian співчуття́, співчуття́
  • співчуття́ (spivčuttjá)comfort, support or sympathy — see also condolences
  • співчуття́ (spivčuttjá)sympathy when someone has died — see also condolences
Cite this entry
APA

condolence. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/condolence

MLA

“condolence.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/condolence. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “condolence,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/condolence.

Source: condolence on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.