Meaning

noun a feeling of sympathy and sorrow for the misfortunes of others

noun an unfortunate development

noun the humane quality of understanding the suffering of others and wanting to do something about it

originFrom Middle English pitye, pitie, pittye, pitee, pite, from Anglo-Norman pité, pittee etc., from Old French pitet, pitié, from Latin pietās. See also the doublets pietà and piety.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 3.0