What does "extenuate" mean?
Extenuate: To lessen; to palliate; to lessen or weaken the force of; to diminish the conception of, as crime, guilt, faults, ills, accusations, etc.; -- opposed to aggravate. But fortune there extenuates the crime. Dryden. Let us extenuate, conceal, adorn the unpleasing reality. I. Taylor.
Additional senses
- 2.To lower or degrade; to detract from. [Obs.] Who can extenuate thee Milton. See Palliate.
- 3.To become thinner; to make excuses; to advance palliating considerations. Burke.
- 4.Thin; slender. [Obs.] Huloet.
Sources
- Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).
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- Published: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00 · Modified: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00