extenuating

[ik-sten-yoo-ey-ting]

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

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of extenuating¹

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

Example Sentences

The mortgage agreement for the Arizona property required them to occupy the home as their “principal residence” for at least a year, barring “extenuating circumstances” or the lender allowing them to violate the stipulation.

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Swansea University students can access a carers passport to help facilitate reasonable adjustments and extenuating circumstances.

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After the public backlash, Taiwan announced additional exemptions for individuals with extenuating circumstances such as financial hardship, medical needs or safety concerns about traveling to China to search for records.

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He added that there were “extenuating circumstances” that he believed could factor into the case, but provided no details.

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Kasten said the Dodgers and other teams try to accommodate fans with extenuating circumstances.

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