palliate

[pal-ee-eyt]

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verb (used with object), pal·li·at·ed, pal·li·at·ing.

to relieve or lessen without curing; mitigate; alleviate.

to try to mitigate or conceal the gravity of (an offense) by excuses, apologies, etc.; extenuate.

Origin of palliate

First recorded in 1540–50, palliate is from the Late Latin word palliātus cloaked, covered. See pallium, -ate¹

Related formspal·li·a·tion, nounpal·li·a·tor, nounnon·pal·li·a·tion, nounun·pal·li·at·ed, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for palliate

lessen, relieve, soften, soothe, disguise, whiten, allay, varnish, ease, hide, sugarcoat, assuage, mask, camouflage, mollify, white, moderate, screen, veneer, exculpate

Examples from the Web for palliate

Historical Examples of palliate

This expedient to palliate my folly was thought of—but not by me.
Some Reminiscences
Joseph Conrad
We have no wish to palliate any act of Calvin's which is manifestly wrong.
Fox's Book of Martyrs
John Foxe
There was even a palpable deficiency in Henrys claim, which no art could palliate.
King Henry the Fifth
William Shakespeare
This was a political fault, which no circumstances can palliate.
Memoirs of the Courts and Cabinets of George the Third
The Duke of Buckingham and Chandos
There are things which cannot be extenuated however we may try to palliate them.
The Coming Conquest of England
August Niemann

British Dictionary definitions for palliate

palliate

verb (tr)

to lessen the severity of (pain, disease, etc) without curing or removing; alleviate; mitigate

to cause (an offence) to seem less serious by concealing evidence; extenuate

Derived Formspalliation, nounpalliator, noun

Word Origin for palliate

C16: from Late Latin palliāre to cover up, from Latin pallium a cloak, pallium

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for palliate

"alleviate without curing," early 15c., from Medieval Latin palliatus, literally "cloaked," from past participle of Late Latin palliare "cover with a cloak, conceal," from Latin pallium "cloak" (see pall (n.)). Related: Palliated; palliating; palliation.

palliate in Medicine

palliate

[păl′ē-āt′]

v.

To reduce the severity of; to relieve somewhat.