extenuation

/eks,tenju'eiʃn/

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Word: Extenuation

Part of Speech: Noun

Definition: Extenuation refers to actions or reasons that make a bad situation seem less serious. It’s like providing excuses or explanations that can lessen the blame for something wrong that was done.

Usage Instructions: You can use “extenuation” when talking about why someone might not deserve full blame for their actions. It is often used in legal contexts or discussions about morality, but can also be applied in everyday situations.

Example Sentence: The defendant offered several reasons as extenuation for his actions, explaining that he had been under extreme stress.

Advanced Usage:

In more formal discussions, you might encounter "extenuating circumstances," which means specific conditions that lessen the severity of a situation. For example, in legal cases, if someone commits a crime but had a valid reason or was influenced by external factors, those reasons can be considered as extenuating circumstances.

Word Variants:

• Extenuate (verb): To make something seem less serious.
  • Example: She tried to extenuate her mistake by explaining her difficult situation.
• Extenuating (adjective): Describing something that lessens the seriousness of an action.
  • Example: The judge considered the extenuating factors before making a decision.

Different Meanings:

While "extenuation" primarily refers to lessening blame, it can also broadly apply to any process of making something less severe or intense.

Synonyms:

• Mitigation
• Alleviation
• Justification
• Excuse
• Explanation

Idioms and Phrasal Verbs:

There are not specific idioms or phrasal verbs that directly correspond to "extenuation," but you might use phrases like: - "To make excuses for" someone or something. - "To soften the blow" when discussing a tough situation.

Summary:

In summary, "extenuation" is about finding reasons that make a wrong action appear less serious.

Academic

Noun

1. to act in such a way as to cause an offense to seem less serious
2. a partial excuse to mitigate censure; an attempt to represent an offense as less serious than it appears by showing mitigating circumstances

Synonyms

• mitigation
• palliation