n.
Pronunciation: ' sim-p ə -th ē
Function: noun
Inflected Form: plural -thies
Etymology: Latin sympathia, from Greek sympatheia, from sympath ē s having common feelings, sympathetic, from syn- + pathos feelings, emotion, experience ― more at PATHOS
Date: 1579
1 a : an affinity, association, or relationship between persons or things wherein whatever affects one similarly affects the other b : mutual or parallel susceptibility or a condition brought about by it c : unity or harmony in action or effect <every part is in complete sympathy with the scheme as a whole ― Edwin Benson>
2 a : inclination to think or feel alike : emotional or intellectual accord <in sympathy with their goals> b : feeling of loyalty : tendency to favor or support <republican sympathies >
3 a : the act or capacity of entering into or sharing the feelings or interests of another b : the feeling or mental state brought about by such sensitivity <have sympathy for the poor>
4 : the correlation existing between bodies capable of communicating their vibrational energy to one another through some medium
synonyms see ATTRACTION , PITY