Some words have very similar meanings that some people tend to become confused and use them interchangeably or improperly. This is the case with the terms condole and console. Not only do they have related meanings, their spellings are also set apart by a single-letter difference. This post will try to identify their differences to help you use them more accurately in your writing.
The word condole is most commonly used as an intransitive verb meaning “to express sympathetic sorrow” or “to express sympathy for someone.”
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NDTV
On the other hand, the term console also functions as a verb which means “to comfort someone at a time of grief or disappointment” or “to alleviate the grief, sense of loss, or trouble of.”
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The Indian Express
It may also function as a noun pertaining to several things including “an electronic system that connects to a display, such as a television set, and is used primarily to play video games,” “a cabinet as for a radio or television set designed to rest directly on the floor,” or “an architectural member projecting from a wall to form a bracket or from a keystone for ornament.”
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CNET
Now that we’ve differentiated between the words condole and console, you should be able to use them properly in your sentences. Keep in mind that condole is showing sympathy due to a death while console is giving comfort.
