| 释义 |
charitable, a.|ˈtʃærɪtəb(ə)l|
Also 4–5 charatable, 5–6 cherytable, 6 charytable.
[a. OF. charitable, cheritable (13th c. in Littré), f. charité; see -able, and cf. the later veritable, equitable. It. has caritatevole; there was no L. cāritābilis.]
†1. Showing Christian charity or the love of God and man. Obs.
1340Ayenb. 145 And charitable, louiinde and louerede, uor hi deþ man parfitliche louie his nixte ase him-zelue. c1375Wyclif Comm. Luke Prol. (MS. Bodl. 143) The meke and pore and charitable lyuyng of Crist. 1494Fabyan vi. clxxxv. 184 Fyll to fastynge and prayer, and contynued therin by a certayne of tyme with parfyte and cherytable deuocyon. 1547–64Bauldwin Mor. Philos. (Palfr.) 100 a, The true lover of god (which is properly the charitable persone) is under no rule; but he is lord above all lawes. 1641J. Jackson True Evang. T. iii. 189 See whether is more pacifique and charitable, and by consequent whether is the more Euangelicall.
†2. Tender-hearted; loving, kindly; well-disposed; benevolent. Obs.
c1386Chaucer Prol. 143 Sche was so charitable and so pitous, Sche wolde weepe if that sche sawe a mous Caught in a trappe, if it were deed or bledde. 1509Fisher Fun. Serm. C'tess Richmonde (1708) 22 Consyderynge her gracyous and charytable mynde. 1529Wolsey in Four C. Eng. Lett. 10 Yt wold please yow of your cherytable goodnes. 1634W. Wood New Eng. Prosp. (1865) Ded. Note, The kind acceptance of your charitable hands.
3. Full of active charity to others; esp. liberal in almsgiving to the poor.
a1400Chester Pl. i. (1843) 213 With your charatable almes the poore man to comforte. 1509Fisher Fun. Serm. C'tess Richmonde (1708) 14 Martha is magnifyed for her godly hospytalyte and charytable dealynge to her neybours. 1526Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W. 1531) 197 b, And buylde vpon thy fayth by charytable werkes. 1602Act 43 Eliz. c. 4 Which lands, tenements, etc...haue not beene imployed according to the charitable intent of the giuers and founders thereof. 1608Yorksh. Trag. i. ix. 215, I thought it the charitablest deed I could do. 1645Fuller Good Th. in Bad T. (1841) 36 He was more charitable to relieve others. 1832H. Martineau Ireland iii. 51 The burden of relieving distress will no longer fall wholly upon the charitable.
4. Connected with or devoted to a recognized object of charity, esp. as defined in the various statutes on the subject; of the nature of a charity.
1597Hooker Eccl. Pol. v. lxxix. §1 If we convert some..portion..to charitable uses. 1655Fuller Ch. Hist. ix. 187 The first Protestant, who erected a charitable House of that nature. a1711Ken Prepar. Poet. Wks. 1721 IV. 102 Each Grain of Charitable Gold, Is in the Book of Life enroll'd. 1788J. Powell Devises (1827) II. 15 The great statute of charitable uses is st. 43 El. c. 4. 1823Lamb Elia (1860) 78 The old monastic institutions and charitable orders. 1858Ld. St. Leonards Handy Bk. Prop. Law xxii. 174 The statutes for the better administration of Charitable Trusts. 1872E. Peacock Mabel Heron I. ix. 160 To aid some charitable object.
5. Inclined to think no evil of others, to put the most favourable construction on their actions, etc.
a1626Bacon (J.) By a charitable construction it may be a sermon. 1639Fuller Holy War ii. v. (1647) 50 We will be more charitable then those that say that the Patriarch..did bewitch and bemad Godfrey. 1710Palmer Proverbs 151 Such a provoking impudence, that the charitablest people in the world can't help reflecting upon it. 1838Lytton Alice 46 Few men are charitable who remember not that they have sinned. 1846J. E. Ryland in Life & Corr. J. Foster (1846) II. 2 Allowed the charitable hope.
6. Comb., as charitable-minded.
1668Child Disc. Trade (1694) 104 Charitable-minded men will know certainly where to dispose of their charity. |