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Obligation vs Compassion - What's the difference?

obligation | compassion |

As nouns the difference between obligation and compassion

is that obligation is the act of binding oneself by a social, legal, or moral tie to someone while compassion is deep awareness of the suffering of another, coupled with the wish to relieve it.

As a verb compassion is

to pity.

obligation

English

(wikipedia obligation)

Noun

(en noun)
  • The act of binding oneself by a social, legal, or moral tie to someone.
  • A social, legal, or moral requirement, duty, contract, or promise that compels someone to follow or avoid a particular course of action.
  • A course of action imposed by society, law, or conscience by which someone is bound or restricted.
  • (legal) A legal agreement stipulating a specified payment or action; the document containing such agreement.
    • X shall be entitled to subcontract its obligation to provide the Support Services. <>
  • * 1668 December 19, , “Mr.'' Alexander Seaton ''contra'' Menzies” in ''The Deci?ions of the Lords of Council & Se??ion I (Edinburgh, 1683), page 575
    • The Pupil after his Pupillarity, had granted a Di?charge to one of the Co-tutors, which did extingui?h the whole Debt of that Co-tutor, and con?equently of all the re?t, they being all correi debendi , lyable by one individual Obligation , which cannot be Di?charged as to one, and ?tand as to all the re?t.

    Usage notes

    * Adjectives often used with "obligation": moral, legal, social, contractual, political, mutual, military, perpetual, etc.

    Synonyms

    * duty

    Antonyms

    * right

    Related terms

    * obligate * obligated * obligational * obligato * obligatorily * oblige * obligee * obliger * obliging * obligingly * obligingness * obligor

    compassion

    English

    Noun

  • Deep awareness of the suffering of another, coupled with the wish to relieve it
  • * 1849 , Robert Leighton (Archbishop of Glasgow), A practical commentary upon the first Epistle of St. Peter (page 47)
    • Oh! the unspeakable privilege to have Him for our Father, who is the Father of mercies and compassions , and those not barren, fruitless pityings, for He is withal the God of all consolations.

    Synonyms

    * empathy, pity, ruth, tenderheartedness, sorrow * kindness, heart, mercy

    Derived terms

    * compassionate * compassion fatigue

    Related terms

    * compatible

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • (obsolete) To pity.
  • * 1607 , , IV. i. 124:
    • O heavens, can you hear a good man groan / And not relent, or not compassion him?

    External links

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