Showing Results for "extenuating"

See Also:

• present participle of extenuate.

extenuating

American  

[ik-sten-yoo-ey-ting] / ɪkˈstɛn yuˌeɪ tɪŋ /

adjective

1. serving to make a fault, offense, etc., appear less serious.

   The judge gave him a comparatively mild sentence due to extenuating circumstances.

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonextenuating
  adjective
• unextenuatingly
  adverb
• extenuatingly
  adverb
• unextenuating
  adjective
• nonextenuatingly
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of extenuating

First recorded in 1600–10; extenuat(e) + -ing ²

Explanation

You'll be furious that your friend didn't bake the cupcakes she promised for your bake sale — until you learn the extenuating circumstances: her dog climbed onto her kitchen counter and ate all the cupcake batter. Extenuating means "making forgivable." The adjective extenuating is unusual because it's almost always used with the word circumstances; the phrase extenuating circumstances describes the specific reasons that excuse or justify someone's actions. The phrase became popular in the 1840s, and is even used in law to lessen punishment for crimes, but before that extenuating meant "lessening or making small." The Latin word for "thin," tenuis, combined with ex, means "to make thin", or to dilute a person's guilt because of a good excuse.

Example Sentences

During the Caldor fire, Airbnb activated its Extenuating Circumstances policy, which “takes precedence over the reservation’s cancellation policy,” and allowed for refunds or credit for certain reservations during the Caldor fire.

From New York Times • Mar. 10, 2023

While Airbnb created a COVID-19 Extenuating Circumstances policy, it says reservations for stays and experiences after March 14, 2020 aren’t covered “except where the guest or host is currently sick with COVID-19.”

From Seattle Times • Dec. 21, 2021

Extenuating circumstances are that he lives in Hawaii, his wife had a baby this month, and they have a rocky relationship with the rest of the family.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 9, 2017

Extenuating circumstances are that he lives in Hawaii, his wife had a baby this month and they have a rocky relationship with the rest of the family.

From Washington Post • Feb. 8, 2017

Groans follow from everyone but me, because no matter what Mrs. Kresney seems to think, I have Extenuating Circumstances.

From "All The Bright Places" by Jennifer Niven