palliative
Americanadjective
noun
adjective
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of palliative
From the French word palliatif, dating back to 1535–45. See palliate, -ive
Explanation
That which is palliative relieves and soothes, but isn’t expected to cure. A heating pack is a commonly employed palliative for temporarily reducing the pain of strained muscles. From the French palliatif, which in turn came from the Middle Latin palliates, palliative was first recorded as an adjective in the 1540’s, and then later as a noun in 1724. To palliate is to alleviate without curing, so it makes sense that a palliative is the agent for this type of relief. “Life as we find it, is too hard for us: it brings us too many pains, disappointments and impossible tasks,” said the founder of psychoanalysis Sigmund Freud. “In order to bear it, we cannot dispense with palliative measures…”
Vocabulary lists containing palliative
The Kite Runner
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Educated
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100 SAT words Beginning with "P"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“This is not a red versus blue issue,” said Sheila Clark, president and chief executive of the California Hospice and Palliative Care Assn.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2026
Clark, who heads up the California Hospice and Palliative Care Assn., has been struggling to get clarity on the issue.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2026
Natasha Wiggins from the Association of Palliative Medicine of GB and Ireland feels the bill could see some patients choosing to end their lives prematurely.
From BBC • Jan. 31, 2025
Palliative services would include coordinated care from a team including medical professionals, specific information about the medical diagnosis, and guidance and support before, during and after birth.
From Seattle Times • Mar. 7, 2024
Palliative measures have in every instance failed to eradicate the disease, and are only justifiable, as in Australia, after the plague has reached dimensions utterly beyond the reach of any process of extermination.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
