attenuate

(ə-tĕn'yū-āt')

v., -at·ed, -at·ing, -ates.

v.tr.

1. To make slender, fine, or small: The drought attenuated the river to a narrow channel.
2. To reduce in force, value, amount, or degree; weaken: Medicine attenuated the fever's effect.
3. To lessen the density of; rarefy.
4. Biology. To make (bacteria or viruses) less virulent.
5. Electronics. To reduce (the amplitude of an electrical signal) with little or no distortion.

v.intr.
To become thin, weak, or fine.

adj. (-yū-ĭt)

1. Reduced or weakened, as in strength, value, or virulence.
2. Botany. Gradually tapering to a slender point.

[Latin attenuāre, attenuāt- : ad-, ad- + tenuāre, to make thin (from tenuis, thin).]

attenuation at·ten'u·a'tion n.

View more Technology videos

verb

1. To lessen or deplete the nerve, energy, or strength of: debilitate, devitalize, enervate, enfeeble, sap, undermine, undo, unnerve, weaken. See strong/weak.
2. To lessen the strength of by or as if by admixture: cut, dilute, thin, water (down), weaken. See strong/weak.
3. To become diffuse: rarefy, thin. See tighten/loosen.

v

Definition: weaken
Antonyms: expand, increase, intensify, strengthen

This entry contains information applicable to United States law only.

To reduce the force or severity; to lessen a relationship or connection between two objects.

In criminal procedure, the relationship between an illegal search and a confession may be sufficiently attenuated as to remove the confession from the protection afforded by the fruit of the poisonous tree doctrine, thereby making it admissible as evidence in a criminal prosecution depending upon the facts of the case.

To reduce the amplitude of an action or signal. The opposite of amplification.

IN BRIEF: To make thin or weaken.

The truth tends to attenuate lies.

LearnThatWord.com is a free vocabulary and spelling program where you only pay for results!

1. the act of thinning or weakening.
2. reduction in the virulence of a pathogenic microorganism induced by passage through another host species, decreasing its virulence for the native host and increasing it for the new host. Some attenuated strains of microorganisms may occur naturally. The possibility now exists of using genetic engineering to attenuate microorganisms in defined ways. Attenuated organisms are used as live vaccines. See also attenuated vaccine.
3. the change in a beam of radiation or sound beam as it passes through matter. The intensity of the electromagnetic radiation decreases as its depth of penetration increases. A sound beam becomes weaker as it travels through tissue.

For a list of words related to attenuated, see:

• Sickly, out of shape, dull, or weak
• Shapes - attenuated: (adj) tapering to long, slender point

---

See words rhyming with "attenuate."

  See crossword solutions for the clue Attenuate.

Dansk (Danish)
v. tr. - fortynde, gøre tyndere
v. intr. - blive mindre, fortyndes
adj. - slank, tynd

Nederlands (Dutch)
verzwakken, verdunnen, vermageren, verlagen in hevigheid, temperen, verfijnen, slank, taps toelopend, ijl

Français (French)
v. tr. - atténuer, diminuer, modérer, raréfier (un gaz), affiner, amincir (une ligne, un fil)
v. intr. - s'atténuer, diminuer
adj. - atténué, diminué, (fig) émoussé, adouci

Deutsch (German)
v. - schwächen, dämpfen
adj. - vermindert, abgemagert

Ελληνική (Greek)
v. - αραιώνω, μετριάζω/-ομαι, αμβλύνω, εξασθενίζω, ελαττώνομαι

Italiano (Italian)
attenuare, diminuire

Português (Portuguese)
v. - atenuar, enfraquecer, debilitar, diluir, adelgaçar

Русский (Russian)
истощать, изнурять

Español (Spanish)
v. tr. - atenuar, debilitar, disminuir
v. intr. - atenuarse, debilitarse, disminuirse
adj. - atenuado, debilitado, disminuido

Svenska (Swedish)
v. - förtunna, försvaga

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
变薄, 变小, 变细, 减弱, 减少, 变稀薄, 稀薄的, 减弱的, 细小的, 减少的

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
v. tr. - 變薄, 變小, 變細, 減弱
v. intr. - 變小, 變細, 減少, 減弱, 變稀薄
adj. - 稀薄的, 減弱的, 細小的, 減少的

한국어 (Korean)
v. tr. - 을 가늘게 하다, 을 줄이다
v. intr. - 가늘어지다, 약화되다
adj. - 가늘어진 , 희박한

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 減衰
v. - 細くする, 薄める, 細くなる
adj. - 細くした, 漸先形の

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(فعل) مخفف, دوا مميع للدم, مميع‏

עברית (Hebrew)
v. tr. - ‮החליש, הפחית (חוזק), עשה לקלוש או לדליל‬
v. intr. - ‮נעשה דק, נחלש, נעשה קלוש או דליל‬
adj. - ‮דליל, קלוש, דק, עדין‬

If you are unable to view some languages clearly, click here.

To select your translation preferences click here.