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Extenuate: meaning, definitions and examples

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extenuate

 

[ ɪkˈstɛnjuːeɪt ]

Verb
Context #1 | Verb

legal context

To extenuate means to lessen the seriousness or gravity of a situation, particularly in legal or moral contexts. It can involve presenting mitigating factors that may justify a less severe punishment or a more lenient view of one's actions.

Synonyms

alleviate, diminish, lessen, mitigate.

Examples of usage

  • The defendant's difficult childhood served to extenuate his actions.
  • Her apology was intended to extenuate the damage done by her remarks.
  • He sought to extenuate his mistakes by providing evidence of his good character.

Translations

Translations of the word "extenuate" in other languages:

🇵🇹 atenuar

🇮🇳 कमज़ोर करना

🇩🇪 mildern

🇮🇩 membuat lebih ringan

🇺🇦 зменшити

🇵🇱 łagodzić

🇯🇵 和らげる

🇫🇷 atténuer

🇪🇸 atenuar

🇹🇷 hafifletmek

🇰🇷 완화하다

🇸🇦 تخفيف

🇨🇿 zmírnit

🇸🇰 zmierniť

🇨🇳 减轻

🇸🇮 omiliti

🇮🇸 mildna

🇰🇿 жұмсарту

🇬🇪 დამშვიდება

🇦🇿 yüngülləşdirmək

🇲🇽 atenuar

Etymology

The word 'extenuate' originates from the Latin word 'extenuare', which means 'to make thin or lessen'. This Latin word is formed from 'ex-', meaning 'out', and 'tenuare', meaning 'to make thin'. The term entered the English language in the late 15th century, specifically in legal contexts where it was used to refer to the act of making excuses or diminuting the severity of an offense or crime. Over time, 'extenuate' has evolved to cover broader contexts, applying to any scenario where the seriousness of an act or situation is lessened or mitigated. Today, it is commonly used in legal, philosophical, and everyday discussions about morality and responsibility.

Word Frequency Rank

This word's position of #32,974 indicates it's among the more rare English words. While understanding it broadens your vocabulary, focus on more common words first.