What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Empathy vs Benevolence - What's the difference?

empathy | benevolence |

As nouns the difference between empathy and benevolence

is that empathy is the intellectual identification of the thoughts, feelings, or state of another person while benevolence is disposition to do good.

empathy

English

Noun

(wikipedia empathy)
  • the intellectual identification of the thoughts, feelings, or state of another person
  • capacity to understand another person's point of view or the result of such understanding
    • She had a lot of empathy for her neighbor; she knew what it was like to lose a parent too.
  • (parapsychology, science fiction) a paranormal ability to psychically read another person's emotions

    • Usage notes

    Used similarly to sympathy, interchangeably in looser usage. In stricter usage, empathy is stronger and more intimate, meaning that the subject understands and shares an emotion with the object – as in “I feel your pain” – while (term) is weaker and more distant – concern, but not shared emotion: “I care for you”.

    benevolence

    English

    Noun

  • (uncountable) disposition to do good
  • (uncountable) charitable kindness
  • (countable) an altruistic gift or act

    • Derived terms

    * benevolent

    References