pitié

Pitié is a noun in French that designates a feeling of pity, compassion, or mercy toward someone who is suffering or in distress. It commonly carries the sense of empathy for another’s misfortune and a wish to alleviate or relieve it. The term can describe a range of emotional responses, from mild sympathy to a stronger urge to help.

Etymology traces pitié to Old French pitié, from Latin pietas, meaning piety, dutifulness, or reverence. In legal, religious, and moral contexts, the word has historically been linked to mercy and benevolence extended toward others, especially the vulnerable or afflicted.

Usage and nuance vary. Avoir pitié de quelqu’un means to feel pity for that person, sometimes accompanied by a desire to assist. Faire pitié can mean to evoke pity in others or to appear pitiful. The expression n’avoir aucune pitié est used to indicate a lack of mercy toward someone or something. In contemporary usage, pitié can carry a gentle, humane connotation or, when perceived as condescension, imply a judgmental undertone about the other’s condition.

Relations to related terms include compassion and empathy, which in French are often expressed as compassion or empathie and emphasize an active concern and desire to help. Pitié is more centered on feeling and moral sentiment, while mercy or charity (miséricorde, charité) stresses obligation and action. In religious contexts, pitié is closely linked to mercy and benevolence as virtues.