Loving-kindness
n.kind, calmwarm
What it means
Warm goodwill expressed through attentive and compassionate action.
Reach for it when naming active benevolence in spiritual, reflective, or care-centered writing
The hospice made loving-kindness visible in every unhurried conversation.
Choose between these
7- everyday
plain broad wording will reach more readers
not when Kindness is less explicit about affection and sustained goodwill.
- warm
another person's suffering awakens a wish to help
not when Compassion responds to suffering, while loving-kindness can be offered in joy.
- professional
friendly constructive intent is the supportable claim
not when Goodwill is cooler and can be diplomatic or commercial.
- formal
a settled intention to do good is meant
not when Benevolence can sound distant or paternalistic.
- formal
religious love expressed through giving is intended
not when Charity also names organized aid and may imply unequal roles.
- literary
metta
the Buddhist practice of universal goodwill is specifically meant
not when Metta belongs to a specific Buddhist tradition; generic use strips that context.
- literary
gentle care toward vulnerability is central
not when Tenderness can remain a feeling without becoming helpful action.
Said against
3- cruelty
- ill will
- indifference
It naturally appears in
3- practice loving-kindness
The retreat invited participants to practice loving-kindness without avoiding conflict.
- loving-kindness meditation
Loving-kindness meditation began with goodwill toward oneself.
- act of loving-kindness
Delivering groceries quietly was an act of loving-kindness.
Where this comes from
- merriam-webster, noun, single sense opens in a new tab · retrieved 2026-07-26
The definition and the example on this page are written here. The dictionaries above ground which meaning is being described, not the wording.