Meaning & use
Extenuate
Last updated
To make a fault, offense, or crime seem less serious by providing a partial excuse or explanation.
See it in a sentence
His difficult childhood does not extenuate the harm he caused.
The judge considered circumstances that might extenuate the sentence.
A note on using this word
Most commonly encountered today in the adjective form "extenuating," as in "extenuating circumstances."
Words with a similar meaning
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