extenuate

verb

ex·​ten·​u·​ate ik-ˈsten-yə-ˌwāt How to pronounce extenuate (audio)
-yü-ˌāt
extenuated; extenuating

transitive verb

1
: to lessen or to try to lessen the seriousness or extent of (something, such as a fault or offense) by making partial excuses : mitigate
There is no economic analysis that can extenuate bigotry.Leon Wieseltier
… all the lies that society tells to justify its values and extenuate its conduct …Robert Penn Warren
see also extenuating
2
: to lessen the strength or effect of (something) : weaken
… it was true that he was an old friend and that … she felt a desire not to extenuate such ties.Henry James
3
a
archaic : to make light of
b
obsolete : disparage
4
archaic : to make thin or emaciated
extenuator noun
extenuatory adjective

Did you know?

You have probably encountered the phrase "extenuating circumstances," which is one of the more common ways that this word turns up in modern times. Extenuate was borrowed into English in the late Middle Ages from Latin extenuatus, the past participle of the verb extenuare, which was itself formed by combining ex- and the verb tenuare, meaning "to make thin." In addition to the surviving senses, extenuate once meant "to make light of" and "to make thin or emaciated"; although those senses are now obsolete, the connection to tenuare can be traced somewhat more clearly through them. Extenuate is today mostly at home in technical and legal contexts, but it occasionally appears in general writing with what may be a developing meaning: "to prolong, worsen, or exaggerate." This meaning, which is likely due to a conflation with extend or accentuate (or both), is not yet fully established.

Examples of extenuate in a Sentence

don't even try to extenuate their vandalism of the cemetery with the old refrain of “Boys will be boys”
Recent Examples on the Web Pisacane agrees that extenuating circumstances justify a refund. Li Goldstein, Bon Appétit, 29 Feb. 2024 There are extenuating reasons Jazz at Lincoln Center may have picked this weekend to mount its own festival: Namely, the Association of Performing Arts Presenters’ annual conference is held in mid-January, bringing industry professionals and performers to New York. Giovanni Russonello, New York Times, 15 Jan. 2024 The court, however, did not consider that an extenuating circumstance in its ruling. Joseph Wilson, USA TODAY, 22 Feb. 2024 This is especially true if executives feel they are being unfairly blamed for the crisis or if there are extenuating circumstances that have not yet come to light. Edward Segal, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2023 In another breakthrough, Mr. Wildes found that immigration officials had the discretion to deport or not, depending on whether there were extenuating circumstances. Adam Nossiter, New York Times, 13 Jan. 2024 There were extenuating circumstances, but those movies overcame concerns about where and how they were seen. Brian Lowry, CNN, 20 Oct. 2023 The magazine’s Ethicist columnist on whether extenuating circumstances should outweigh a reasonable request. Kwame Anthony Appiah, New York Times, 18 Oct. 2023 On Friday, just hours after the collision occurred, the Cruise general manager for the San Francisco market attempted to explain away the incident, blaming extenuating circumstances. Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 22 Aug. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'extenuate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin extenuatus, past participle of extenuare, from ex- + tenuis thin — more at thin

First Known Use

1529, in the meaning defined at sense 3a

Time Traveler
The first known use of extenuate was in 1529

Podcast

Dictionary Entries Near extenuate

Cite this Entry

“Extenuate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/extenuate. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

extenuate

verb
ex·​ten·​u·​ate ik-ˈsten-yə-ˌwāt How to pronounce extenuate (audio)
extenuated; extenuating
: to try to make less serious by partial excuses
extenuation
-ˌsten-yə-ˈwā-shən
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on extenuate

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!