a. Also 4–5 charatable, 5–6 cherytable, 6 charytable. [a. OF. charitable, cheritable (13th c. in Littré), f. charité; see -ABLE, and cf. the later veritable, equitable. It. has caritatevole; there was no L. cāritābilis.]
† 1. Showing Christian charity or the love of God and man. Obs.
1340. Ayenb., 145. And charitable, louiinde and louerede, uor hi deþ man parfitliche louie his nixte ase him-zelue.
c. 1375. Wyclif, Comm. Luke, Prol. (MS. Bodl. 143). The meke and pore and charitable lyuyng of Crist.
1494. Fabyan, VI. clxxxv. 184. Fyll to fastynge and prayer, and contynued therin by a certayne of tyme with parfyte and cherytable deuocyon.
1547–64. Bauldwin, Mor. Philos. (Palfr.), 100 a. The true lover of god (which is properly the charitable persone) is under no rule; but he is lord above all lawes.
1641. J. Jackson, True Evang. T., III. 189. See whether is more pacifique and charitable, and by consequent whether is the more Euangelicall.
† 2. Tender-hearted; loving, kindly; well-disposed; benevolent. Obs.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Prol., 143. Sche was so charitable and so pitous, Sche wolde weepe if that sche sawe a mous Caught in a trappe, if it were deed or bledde.
1509. Fisher, Fun. Serm. C’tess Richmonde (1708), 22. Consyderynge her gracyous and charytable mynde.
1529. Wolsey, in Four C. Eng. Lett., 10. Yt wold please yow of your cherytable goodnes.
1634. W. Wood, New Eng. Prosp. (1865), Ded. Note. The kind acceptance of your charitable hands.
3. Full of active charity to others; esp. liberal in almsgiving to the poor.
a. 1400[?]. Chester Pl., I. (1843), 213. With your charatable almes the poore man to comforte.
1509. Fisher, Fun. Serm. C’tess Richmonde (1708), 14. Martha is magnifyed for her godly hospytalyte and charytable dealynge to her neybours.
1526. Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W., 1531), 197 b. And buylde vpon thy fayth by charytable werkes.
1602. Act 43 Eliz., c. 4. Which lands, tenements, [etc.] … haue not beene imployed according to the charitable intent of the giuers and founders thereof.
1608. Yorksh. Trag., I. ix. 215. I thought it the charitablest deed I could do.
1645. Fuller, Good Th. in Bad T. (1841), 36. He was more charitable to relieve others.
1832. Ht. Martineau, Ireland, iii. 51. The burden of relieving distress will no longer fall wholly upon the charitable.
4. Connected with or devoted to a recognized object of charity, esp. as defined in the various statutes on the subject; of the nature of a charity.
1597. Hooker, Eccl. Pol., V. lxxix. § 1. If we convert some … portion … to charitable uses.
1655. Fuller, Ch. Hist., IX. 187. The first Protestant, who erected a charitable House of that nature.
a. 1711. Ken, Prepar., Poet. Wks. 1721, IV. 102. Each Grain of Charitable Gold, Is in the Book of Life enroll’d.
1788. J. Powell, Devises (1827), II. 15. The great statute of charitable uses is st. 43. El. c. 4.
1823. Lamb, Elia (1860), 78. The old monastic institutions and charitable orders.
1858. Ld. St. Leonards, Handy Bk. Prop. Law, xxii. 174. The statutes for the better administration of Charitable Trusts.
1872. E. Peacock, Mabel Heron, I. ix. 160. To aid some charitable object.
5. Inclined to think no evil of others, to put the most favorable construction on their actions, etc.
a. 1626. Bacon, Apophthegms, in Wks. 1819, II. 459 (J.). By a charitable construction, it may be a sermon.
1639. Fuller, Holy War, II. v. (1647), 50. We will be more charitable then those that say that the Patriarch … did bewitch and bemad Godfrey.
1710. Palmer, Proverbs, 151. Such a provoking impudence, that the charitablest people in the world can’t help reflecting upon it.
1838. Lytton, Alice, I. 101. Few men are charitable who remember not that they have sinned.
1846. J. E. Ryland, in Life & Corr. J. Foster (1846), II. 2. Allowed the charitable hope.
6. Comb., as charitable-minded.
1668. Child, Disc. Trade (1694), 96. Charitable-minded-men will know certainly where to dispose of their Charity, so as it may be employed to right purposes.
