English Vocabulary

Empathic vs Empathetic: Uncover This Fascinating Distinction

When we explore the English language, we will encounter different types of words with different pronunciations, but their meanings are the same .Both these words come from the same word empathy due to which people wonder that how they differ from each other.

Empathic and Empathetic are two different words for people who can understand the emotions of others and these words are used interchangeably to describe the feeling and emotions of people behind these words.

There is a minute difference between these two words, and in this blog, you will learn the difference, and you will be able to use these words according to the situation whether it is used for caring response or psychology.

Empathic vs Empathetic

Now we will discuss empathic vs empathetic.

What Does Empathic mean in English?

It is a very old word used in 1909 and derived from the root word “ Empathy,” which is a noun. It has originated from the Greek word’ em’, which means in and  “pathos,” meaning any type of feelings or suffering.

If we use scientific language, the word empathic is commonly used because it refers to theories and new concepts.

Connection of Empathic with Psychology

It has a major connection with the psychology field because this word combines medical terms with different scientific concepts of thoughts and feelings due to which we can response and understand other persons emotions. Empathy is a measurable and studied phenomena.

Why writers use the word Empathic

The writers used the word emphatic while writing because this word highlights the emotions of other people who instinctively absorb all types of feelings or thoughts, just like empaths. Influential psychologists such as Carl Rogers and Heinz Kohut used empathic in their theories about therapy and human relationships and then after this trend most of the writers and therapist use this word in their researches and theories.

They are used to enhance the emotional value of the context to show the deeper emotions and highlight them. These are more helpful when using anger or grief-type feelings.

Synonyms of Empathic

  • Sympathetic
  • Compassionate
  • Understanding
  • Sensitive

Example Usage:

  • The teacher’s empathic behavior helps the students to achieve their goals.
  • Due to his empathic nature, he has many friends in his circle.
  • The empathic bond between wife and husband was evident in their relationship.

 

What Does Empathetic Mean in English?

It is also an old word used in 1932 and originated from the Greek word and it also means to understand the feelings of another person if he or she cannot feel the same emotions. It means you can feel the same pain as the other person feels by putting yourself in their condition.

An empathetic person has a special quality of feeling that is regularly expressed in business or daily life circles, or possesses empathetic qualities.

Examples in a sentence

  • To become empathetic, we should understand our feelings deeply.
  • If the friends are empathetic, the person can not feel alone.
  • Doctors’ empathetic behaviour helps patients to recover more easily.

Synonyms of Empathetic

  • Concerned
  • Feeling
  • Responsive
  • Caring

Difference Between Being Empathic And Empathetic

Empathic Empathetic
It originates from a Greek word, but it is more older word. It originates from a Greek word but later became more popular.
It is used in the clinical and academic fields It is used in the modern English language
The doctor shows empathic behaviour with the patient She shows empathetic behaviour to her pain.
It sounds more formal It sounds more natural

Why is Understanding Empathic vs Empathetic Important for English Learners in India?

The learners need to know these words and their differences because if they know, then he or she can not be confused in any type of situation, and the way of communication becomes easier.

There are two situations in which these words can be confusing, such as;

Job interview

While getting a job, if you are not confident, then you can not look professional, and it will affect your job opportunities and your skills experience.

Social Interaction

If a person is not aware of these words, then dealing with people’s behavior may cause misunderstandings so it is important to learn these words and their differences.

Difference between sympathy vs Empathy

Sympathy Empathy
Feel for someone Feel with someone
Emotional distance remains It is deeper
Your own view The other person’s point of view
 I feel sorry for that. I am sorry for that

How to use ‘Empathetic’ or ‘Empathic’ in business Writing?

1. Determine the specific context

It is very important to know the real content because, based on context, these two words are used because empathic deals with understanding the person’s highlighted emotions but empathetic deals in a professional way.

2. Consider the region you’re writing in

Region’s choice matters a lot because the UK audience uses the word empathic commonly in social interactions and business meetings, but in grammar, both words are correct and have the same meaning.

3. Link the word to a person

Both these words are directly linked to the person because some people has hidden emotions and some people have highlighted emotions.

4. Check your spelling carefully

While writing and using these words, we should check the spellings of these two words before the final submission because they have very similar spellings with a slight difference in meaning.

Conclusion

Both these words are very important in every field, but depending on the situation and person’s behavior and as an English language learner, it is necessary to learn the difference between these two words and it will not only help you to interact with others but also at the professional sites to deal with colleagues.

Quiz

1️⃣Which word is more commonly used in psychology and clinical settings?
A) Empathetic
B) Empathic

2️⃣Which word is often considered more formal or technical?
A) Empathetic
B) Empathic

3️⃣True or False: “Empathetic” and “empathic” have completely different meanings.
A) True
B) False

5️⃣Which word would most likely appear in an academic psychology paper?
A) Empathetic
B) Empathic

FAQs

Where does empathy come from?

It develops through life experience and neurological processes and it is the ability to feel someone emotions and feelings that how much he or she in pain.

Can an empath lack empathy?

Empaths can sometimes lack empathy when they are emotionally drained and naturally sensitive to  others emotions but there are many factors that reduce their ability’s to show empathy. 

Is it empathetic or empathic listening?

It is empathic listening when someone can understand the other person’s behavior because he or she feel the same emotions as the person do because it is the special power to feel that.

Is empathy good or bad?

Empath is good, but it is more challenging because feeling the emotions are very difficult while dealing you will also face the same situation.

Is empathy a skill or a feeling?

It is a powerful communication skill and those person who has this feeling it becomes very difficult for them to deal with it they face many hardships during this phase.

 

Read More:

Apologize or Apologise

 

Saim

The author is a highly experienced English language trainer with a strong academic background and a passion for teaching. With over 7 years of global experience, he has worked with students from diverse cultural backgrounds, helping them enhance their language skills. A dedicated professional, he combines his expertise and enthusiasm to deliver effective and engaging lessons to learners worldwide.

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