Compassionable

/kəmˈpæʃənəbəl/ adjective

Definition

Capable of being treated with compassion; deserving of or susceptible to compassion.

Etymology

From 'compassion' (from Latin 'compassio,' literally 'suffering with') + '-able' (suffix meaning capable of being). A rare or obsolete formation that appears sporadically in older texts.

Kelly Says

While rare now, 'compassionable' appears in 18th-century writings—moral philosophers used it to designate beings worthy of moral consideration, a precursor to modern discussions about which animals deserve ethical protection.

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