extenuate

American  

[ik-sten-yoo-eyt] / ɪkˈstɛn yuˌeɪt /

verb (used with object)

extenuated, extenuating

1. to represent (a fault, offense, etc.) as less serious.

   to extenuate a crime.

2. to serve to make (a fault, offense, etc.) seem less serious.

3. to underestimate, underrate, or make light of.

   Do not extenuate the difficulties we are in.

4. Archaic.

   1. to make thin, lean, or emaciated.

   2. to reduce the consistency or density of.

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extenuate British  

/ ɪkˈstɛnjʊˌeɪt /

verb

1. to represent (an offence, a fault, etc) as being less serious than it appears, as by showing mitigating circumstances

2. to cause to be or appear less serious; mitigate

3. to underestimate or make light of

4. archaic

   1. to emaciate or weaken

   2. to dilute or thin out

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Other Word Forms

• extenuating
  adjective
• extenuation
  noun
• extenuative
  adjective
• extenuator
  noun
• extenuatory
  adjective
• nonextenuative
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of extenuate

First recorded in 1520–30; from Latin extenuātus, past participle of extenuāre, equivalent to ex- ex- ¹ + tenuāre “to make thin or small”; see origin at thin; see also -ate ¹ ( def. )

Explanation

To extenuate is to make less of something or try to minimize its importance. The fact that you walked your little sister to school because she missed the bus might extenuate your teacher's response when you show up late. Extenuate goes back to the Latin verb extenuāre, meaning "to thin" or "make thin." Someone might have a strong case against you for doing something wrong, but an added consideration can make it less serious, or extenuate, the circumstances that led to it. If you give an excuse that doesn't really relate to what was done, it won't extenuate the punishment. If something has a real bearing on what went wrong, it will extenuate the response, and you'll get in less trouble.

Example Sentences

Nothing can extenuate the horror of acts he spent his adult life trying to avoid.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 10, 2022

In my initial salvo, I pointed out that Yglesias had minimized the harm of copyright infringement with a rationale that could extenuate theft of any kind.

From Slate • Feb. 2, 2012

Exceptionalism can be a dangerous faith because of how much it can extenuate and excuse.

From Time • Feb. 4, 2010

Seemingly the rash students were bent upon egging Prime Minister Velja Vukitchevitch of Jugoslavia into a suicidal war with Italy; but circumstances were not lacking to extenuate their folly.

From Time Magazine Archive

Neither have I any wish to ignore, or to extenuate, the objections which militate against such a conclusion, objections arising from considerations of a general character, rather than from any positive evidence.

From What was the Gunpowder Plot? The Traditional Story Tested by Original Evidence by Gerard, John