Extenuation: meaning, definitions and examples
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extenuation
[ ɪkˌstɛnjʊˈeɪʃən ]
in legal context
The act of making a wrongdoing seem less serious or more forgivable, often by providing excuses or explanations.
Synonyms
excuse, justification, mitigation
Examples of usage
- He pleaded extenuation due to his difficult upbringing.
- The lawyer argued for extenuation of the crime based on the defendant's mental state.
- The extenuation of the offense did not lessen the severity of the punishment.
in general context
The act of making something seem less serious or significant.
Synonyms
alleviation, diminution, moderation
Examples of usage
- Her apology seemed to lack true extenuation for her actions.
- The extenuation of his misconduct only made matters worse.
- I couldn't find any extenuation for his behavior.
Translations
Translations of the word "extenuation" in other languages:
🇵🇹 mitigação
🇮🇳 रियायत
🇩🇪 Milderung
🇮🇩 mitigasi
🇺🇦 пом'якшення
🇵🇱 łagodzenie
🇯🇵 軽減
🇫🇷 atténuation
🇪🇸 atenuación
🇹🇷 hafifletme
🇰🇷 완화
🇸🇦 تخفيف
🇨🇿 zmírnění
🇸🇰 zmiernenie
🇨🇳 减轻
🇸🇮 blažitev
🇮🇸 mildun
🇰🇿 жұмсарту
🇬🇪 შემსუბუქება
🇦🇿 yüngülləşdirmə
🇲🇽 atenuación
Word origin
The word 'extenuation' originates from the Latin word 'extenuare', which means 'to make thin' or 'to lessen'. In English, it first appeared in the 15th century with the meaning of 'diminishing the seriousness of something'. Over time, it evolved to also include legal connotations, referring to the act of providing excuses or explanations to lessen the severity of a wrongdoing.