extenuating circumstance
noun Law.
Usually extenuating circumstances. a circumstance that renders conduct less serious and thereby serves to reduce the damages to be awarded or the punishment to be imposed.
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Nearby words
- extensor muscle of little finger,
- extensor retinaculum,
- extent,
- extenuate,
- extenuating,
- extenuating circumstances,
- extenuation,
- extenuatory,
- exterior,
- exterior angle
Origin of extenuating circumstance
First recorded in 1830–40
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019