sympathetic

The definition of sympathetic is feeling compassion for someone or a situation, or connected by a mutual feeling or passion.

(adjective)

An example of sympathetic is a person who feels badly for a friend who lost her job.
An example of sympathetic is a person who connects to another because of a shared passion for environmentalism.

See sympathetic in Webster's New World College Dictionary

adjective

of, expressing, resulting from, feeling, or showing sympathy; sympathizing
in agreement with one's tastes, mood, feelings, disposition, etc.; congenial
showing favor, approval, or agreement: to be sympathetic to a plan
Physiol. designating or of that part of the autonomic nervous system whose nerves originate in the lumbar and thoracic regions of the spinal cord and that is especially concerned with mediating the involuntary response to alarm, as by speeding the heart rate, raising the blood pressure, and dilating the pupils of the eyes: these nerves oppose the parasympathetic nerves in the regulation of many body processes
Physics, Acoustics designating or of vibrations, sounds, etc. caused by other vibrations of the same period transmitted from a neighboring vibrating body

Origin: ModL sympatheticus < Gr sympatheia, sympathy, infl. by Gr pathētikos, pathetic

Related Forms:

See sympathetic in American Heritage Dictionary 4

adjective

Of, expressing, feeling, or resulting from sympathy: a sympathetic glance.
Favorably inclined: not at all sympathetic to her proposal.
Agreeably suited to one's disposition or mood; congenial: sympathetic surroundings.
Of, relating to, or acting on the sympathetic nervous system: a sympathetic neuron; sympathetic stimulation.
a. Relating to or being vibrations, especially musical tones, produced in one body by energy from a nearby vibrating body and having the same frequency as the vibration of the nearby body.
b. Emitting such vibrations: sympathetic strings.

Origin:

Origin: Greek sumpathētikos

Origin: , from sumpatheia, sympathy; see sympathy

Related Forms: