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.

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Other Word Forms

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

“The bottom line is: If consumers have jobs, barring extenuating circumstances, they will continue to spend money and pay their bills.”

From MarketWatch • Dec. 11, 2025

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

From BBC • Aug. 9, 2025

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.

From Los Angeles Times • May 22, 2025

“The one thing I can tell you is that everyone that’s ever worked for me has always gotten paid. Obviously, the circumstances here are a little extenuating, but yes, everybody will be paid eventually.”

From Slate • Apr. 18, 2024

“Isn’t it a pity that we didn’t meet under less extenuating circumstances?”

From "Nine Stories" by J. D. Salinger