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Charity vs Agape - What's the difference?

charity | agape |

As a proper noun charity

is .

As a noun agape is

(label).

charity

English

Noun

  • (archaic)  Christian love; representing God's love of man, man's love of God, or man's love of his fellow-men.
  • In general, an attitude of kindness and understanding towards others, now especially suggesting generosity.
  • Judge thyself with the judgment of sincerity, and thou will judge others with the judgment of charity . — John Mitchell Mason
  • (uncountable)  Benevolence to others less fortunate than ourselves; the providing of goods or money to those in need.
  • * {{quote-book, year=1963, author=(Margery Allingham), title=(The China Governess)
  • , chapter=6 citation , passage=‘[…] I remember a lady coming to inspect St. Mary's Home where I was brought up and seeing us all in our lovely Elizabethan uniforms we were so proud of, and bursting into tears all over us because “it was wicked to dress us like charity children”. […]’.}}
  • (countable)  The goods or money given to those in need.
  • (countable)  An organization, the objective of which is to carry out a charitable purpose.
  • Synonyms

    * (organization) charitable organization

    agape

    English

    Etymology 1

    * . First known use by (1667).

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Being in a state of astonishment, wonder, expectation, or eager attention; as with mouth hanging open.
  • *
  • *
  • *
  • wide open.
  • * 1874 , (Marcus Clarke), (For the Term of His Natural Life) Chapter VIII
  • With his mouth agape and his hands clenched, Rufus Dawes, incapable of further speech, made a last effort to nod assent, but his head fell upon his breast; the next moment, the flickering light, the gloomy prison, the eager face of the doctor, and the astonished face of Vickers, vanished from before his straining eyes.
  • *
  • *
  • * 2004 , Jeffrey C. Carrier, John A. Musick, & Michael R. Heithaus, Biology of Sharks and their Relatives? , page 171
  • If the slightly agape mouth is closed prior to mouth opening, this is termed the preparatory phase and is more common in suction-feeding bony fishes than elasmobranchs.
    Usage notes
    * Almost always used after a noun or noun phrase it modifies.
    Synonyms
    * (being in a state of astonishment) dumbstruck, agog * (open wide) ajar, open, agog

    Adverb

    (en adverb)
  • In a state of astonishment, wonder, expectation, or eager attention.
  • *
  • *
  • *
  • open wide.
  • *
  • * 1996 , Perri O'Shaughnessy, Invasion of Privacy? , page 508
  • The bathroom door stood agape , and the peeling vinyl floor was bare.
  • * 2005 , , Chainfire? , page 427
  • He glanced up into Richard's eyes, his own wide with wonder, his mouth hanging agape .

    Etymology 2

    From (etyl) .

    Noun

    (agapae)
  • (Christianity) the love of God for mankind, or the benevolent love of Christians for others.
  • spiritual, altruistic, beneficial love which wills good for others.
  • a love feast, especially one held in the early Christian Church in connection with the eucharist.