tr.v., -at·ed, -at·ing, -ates.
- To make (an offense or crime) seem less serious; extenuate.
- To make less severe or intense; mitigate: tried unsuccessfully to palliate the widespread discontent.
- To relieve the symptoms of a disease or disorder.
[Middle English palliaten, from Late Latin palliāre, palliāt-, to cloak, palliate, from Latin pallium, cloak.]
palliation pal'li·a'tion n.palliator pal'li·a'tor n.
SYNONYMS palliate, extenuate, gloss, gloze, whitewash. These verbs mean to cause a fault or offense to seem less grave or less reprehensible: palliate a crime; couldn't extenuate the malfeasance; glossing over an unethical transaction; glozing sins and iniquities; whitewashed official complicity in political extortion. See also synonyms at relieve.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
