Inflected forms: pal·li·at·ed, pal·li·at·ing, pal·li·ates 1. To make (an offense or crime) seem less serious; extenuate. 2. To make less severe or intense; mitigate: tried unsuccessfully to palliate the widespread discontent.3. To relieve the symptoms of a disease or disorder.
ETYMOLOGY:
Middle English palliaten, from Late Latin pallire, pallit-, to cloak, palliate, from Latin pallium, cloak.
OTHER FORMS:
palli·ation —NOUN palli·ator —NOUN
SYNONYMS:
palliate, extenuate, gloss1, gloze, whitewash These verbs mean to cause a fault or offense to seem less grave or less reprehensible: palliate a crime; couldn't extenuate the malfeasance; glossing over an unethical transaction; glozing sins and iniquities; whitewashed official complicity in political extortion. See also synonyms at relieve.
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