sympathetic

 
Pronunciation: /sɪmpəˈθɛtɪk/

adjective

  • 1feeling, showing, or expressing sympathy: she was sympathetic towards staff with family problems he spoke in a sympathetic tone
  • 2showing approval of or favour towards an idea or action: he was sympathetic to evolutionary ideas
  • 3(of a person) attracting the liking of others: Hubbell is a more sympathetic character
  • (of a structure) designed in a sensitive or appropriate way: buildings that were sympathetic to their surroundings
  • 4relating to or denoting the part of the autonomic nervous system consisting of nerves arising from ganglia near the middle part of the spinal cord, supplying the internal organs, blood vessels, and glands, and balancing the action of the parasympathetic nerves.
  • 5relating to, producing, or denoting an effect which arises in response to a similar action elsewhere.

Derivatives

sympathetically

adverb

Origin:

mid 17th century (in the sense 'relating to an affinity or paranormal influence', as in sympathetic magic): from sympathy, on the pattern of pathetic