alleviate
Americanverb (used with object)
verb
Other Word Forms
- alleviation noun
- alleviative adjective
- alleviator noun
- unalleviated adjective
- unalleviatedly adverb
- unalleviating adjective
- unalleviatingly adverb
Etymology
Origin of alleviate
First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English alleviaten, from Late Latin alleviātus “lightened,” past participle of alleviāre “to lighten, relieve,” from al- al- + levi(s) “light in weight” + -āre, infinitive verb suffix
Explanation
Do all these words make your head ache? If so, take an aspirin to alleviate, or relieve, your pain. The verb, alleviate, stems from the Latin root, levis "light" and is related to modern English words such as elevator and levitate — both words implying a lightening of one's load. Alleviate also has this sense of lightening a burden such as physical pain or emotional duress. You can take medicine to alleviate symptoms or do exercise to alleviate stress. Or if you want a bigger challenge: try alleviating traffic congestion or world hunger.
Vocabulary lists containing alleviate
100 SAT Words Beginning with "A"
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Grade 9, List 2
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Farewell to Manzanar
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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.
A simple adjustment of the blocking would alleviate the fakery.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2026
U.S. oil prices tumbled more than 15% on Wednesday after the U.S. and Iran agreed to a two-week cease-fire and President Donald Trump said he would help alleviate ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.
From Barron's • Apr. 8, 2026
"We're seeing more opportunities to alleviate the worst consequences of old age," he said.
From Science Daily • Apr. 5, 2026
Gas tax prices are soaring across the U.S. — currently above $4 a gallon on average — and lawmakers are naturally looking for ways to alleviate the pain at the pump.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 1, 2026
Evelyn was distraught, and the only thing that helped temper my own grief was trying to alleviate hers.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
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.
