Definition

Adverb: 1. In a charitable manner: Acting or behaving with kindness, generosity, and a desire to help others, often by giving money, time, or understanding. 2. With leniency or a favorable interpretation: Judging or interpreting someone's actions or words in a kind, forgiving, or generous way.

Usage and Examples

• Describing an action done with generosity:
  • She donated charitably to the local food bank every month.
  • The foundation is funded charitably by anonymous benefactors.
• Describing a judgment made with kindness or leniency:
  • He chose to interpret her blunt comment charitably, assuming she meant well.
  • If we look at his motives charitably, we might understand his difficult decision.

Advanced Usage

• "to view/interpret something charitably": To choose the most generous or kind possible explanation for an action or statement.
  • The critic's review was harsh, but if read charitably, it contained some constructive advice.
• "to act charitably": To behave in a way that shows a desire to promote the welfare of others, typically through the donation of money or time.
  • The company's owners act charitably by offering paid volunteer days to all employees.

Variants and Related Words

• Charitable (adjective): Relating to the assistance of those in need; generous and kind in judging others.
  • A charitable organization.
  • He was in a charitable mood.
• Charity (noun): An organization set up to provide help and raise money for those in need; the voluntary giving of help, typically in the form of money, to those in need; kindness and tolerance in judging others.
  • She gave a large sum to charity.
  • He spoke of his rival with great charity.

Synonyms

• Benevolently: In a well-meaning and kindly manner.
• Generously: In a way that shows a readiness to give more of something than is strictly necessary or expected.
• Kindly: In a kind manner.
• Leniently: In a permissive or forgiving way.

Antonyms

• Uncharitably: In an unkind, mean, or critical manner.
• Harshly: In a cruel or severe manner.
• Stingily: In a mean-spirited or miserly way.

Related Phrases and Idioms

• To give someone the benefit of the doubt: This idiom is conceptually related to acting "charitably" in judgment. It means to believe someone's statement or excuse, without proof, because it is the kind thing to do.
  • Even though he was late again, she gave him the benefit of the doubt and assumed the traffic was bad.

Adverb

1. in a charitable manner
   • she treated him charitably