considerate
kuhn-SID-er-it
/kənˈsɪd.ər.ət/
Thoughtful of the feelings, needs, and rights of others; careful not to cause inconvenience or pain.
Focuses on daily mindfulness, personal manners, and practical attentiveness to small details that affect others.
The story behind the word. Originally, Latin astrologers 'considered' by looking carefully at constellations ('sidera'). In English, the word moved from careful intellectual reflection to social reflection—taking time to observe and think about another person's situation before acting.
Word relationships
- thoughtful: Thoughtful is nearly identical, though considerate emphasizes avoiding inconvenience to others.
- courteous: Courteous stresses polite manners; considerate stresses genuine empathy for others' comfort.
- inconsiderate: Inconsiderate means lacking thought for the rights or feelings of others.
- thoughtless: Thoughtless implies acting without reflecting on consequences for people nearby.
Commonly confused with
- considerable: Considerable means large in size or amount, whereas considerate means thoughtful of people.
Word family
- consideration (noun): Careful thought or empathy for others.
- considerately (adverb): In a thoughtful and mindful manner.
Collocations
- considerate neighbor
- considerate gesture
- always considerate
- highly considerate
Example sentences
- "He was always a considerate roommate who kept his music low while others were sleeping." Shared living spaces
- "It was very considerate of her to send out the meeting agenda two days in advance." Professional etiquette
Memory hook
To be CONSIDERATE is to PAUSE and CONSIDER how your actions impact someone else. CONSIDER OTHERS first.
When not to use
Do not use for grand financial donations; use it for personal behavior, manners, and quiet mindfulness.
Fun facts
- The root 'sider-' in considerate is the exact same Latin root found in the word 'desire' (wishing upon a star).
Related words
Explore more words
attentiveness, accommodating, courtesy, observant, prudent, conscientious
Also appears in
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