miséricorde

Miséricorde is the French noun for mercy, pity, or compassion. The word derives from Latin misericordia (pity of the heart), formed from misere (pity) and cordis (heart). Cognate terms appear in other languages, such as misericordia in Italian and mercy in English.

As a moral virtue, mercy denotes compassion and forgiveness toward those who suffer or toward wrongdoers deserving punishment but for whom mercy is shown. In Christian thought, mercy is central: it is an attribute of God and a duty of believers; the works of mercy describe charitable actions toward the hungry, the stranger, the sick, and the imprisoned.

In Islam, mercy (rahmah) is a foundational divine attribute; the opening phrase of the Qur’an, Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim, names God as The Most Merciful and The Most Compassionate. In Judaism, rachamim (mercy) and chesed (loving-kindness) likewise inform ethical conduct and liturgy.

Beyond theology, miséricorde is used in law and culture to denote clemency or pardon granted by a person in authority, as well as metaphorical mercy in literature.

In medieval church architecture, misericords, known in French as miséricordes, are small projections under choir stalls that provide a resting place for clergy during long services. The term reflects the broader moral sense of mercy that permeates religious and cultural life.