Which term is defined as feeling sorrow for someone else's misfortune?

The term defined as feeling sorrow for someone else's misfortune is "sympathy." Sympathy involves the recognition of another person's suffering and an emotional response to it. It often implies that one feels for another but does not necessarily involve trying to understand or share that person's feelings deeply. This emotional recognition can manifest in various ways, such as expressing condolences or providing comfort to the person experiencing hardship.

In contrast, compassion involves a desire to alleviate or reduce the suffering of others, and empathy refers to the ability to deeply understand and share the feelings of another person as if you were experiencing them yourself. Understanding is more a cognitive process where one grasps the situation or feelings of others, but does not inherently involve an emotional response. Hence, sympathy is the term that most accurately captures the feeling of sorrow for another's misfortune.