caritative

Caritative is an adjective describing things related to charity, benevolence, or the charitable works of individuals or organizations. In English, it is especially found in religious or academic discourse, where it can denote the virtue of charity or the act of giving and helping those in need. The term emphasizes the orientation of actions toward the welfare of others rather than self-interest.

Etymology and scope: the word is derived from Latin caritas meaning charity, through Old French caritatif or directly into English as caritative. It is cognate with French caritatif and other Romance-language forms, and it signals a sense of benevolence that can be formal, moral, or institutional rather than merely practical.

Usage in theology and ethics: in theological and ethical contexts, caritative refers to the theological virtue of charity (caritas) and to charitable acts inspired by that virtue. It can describe charitable organizations or activities as caritative foundations or efforts in some academic or ecclesiastical writings, though in ordinary English the more common terms are charitable or philanthropic.

Cross-language note: in French, caritatif is the standard adjective for charitable; in English, caritative is relatively rare and mostly confined to specialized discourse, with charitable or philanthropic used more broadly in everyday language.

See also: Charity; Caritas; Altruism; Theological virtue.