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Attenuating: meaning, definitions and examples

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attenuating

 

[ əˈtɛnjuːˌeɪt ]

Verb
Context #1 | Verb

reduce intensity

Attenuating means to reduce the force, effect, or value of something. It is often used in science and technology to describe the diminishing of a signal or effect as it travels or interacts with other materials. In medicine, it can refer to the process of weakening a pathogen or disease in order to create vaccines. Overall, it conveys a sense of making something less severe or intense.

Synonyms

diminish, lessen, reduce, weaken

Examples of usage

  • The new filter is designed for attenuating sound.
  • The vaccine uses attenuated viruses to provoke an immune response.
  • Attenuating the light improves the image quality for the experiment.

Translations

Translations of the word "attenuating" in other languages:

🇵🇹 atenuante

🇮🇳 कमज़ोर करना

🇩🇪 abschämt

🇮🇩 mengurangi

🇺🇦 послаблюючий

🇵🇱 osłabiający

🇯🇵 減衰する

🇫🇷 atténuant

🇪🇸 atenuante

🇹🇷 zayıflatıcı

🇰🇷 감소시키는

🇸🇦 مخفف

🇨🇿 oslabující

🇸🇰 oslabujúci

🇨🇳 减弱的

🇸🇮 oslabljujoč

🇮🇸 veikjandi

🇰🇿 әлсірететін

🇬🇪 დასუსტებელი

🇦🇿 zəiflədirici

🇲🇽 atenuante

Etymology

The word 'attenuate' originates from the Latin word 'attenuare', which means 'to make thin'. It is formed from the prefix 'ad-' meaning 'to' and the root 'tenuare', which derives from 'tenuis', meaning 'thin'. The term made its way into the English language in the late Middle Ages, around the 15th century. Initially, it was used in a physical context to describe the thinning of materials or fluids. Over time, the usage expanded into various fields, including physics, biology, and medicine, where it began to apply to concepts of reducing strength or intensity, particularly in regard to sound, light, and biological agents. This evolution highlights the versatility of the term in both scientific and everyday discourse.

Word Frequency Rank

At rank #29,071, this word represents specialized academic or technical vocabulary. It's less frequently encountered but may be valuable in specific contexts.