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palliate

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palliate

  • /ˈpælieɪt/
  • /ˈpæliət/

Rhymes with -ælieɪt

Where it comes from

The verb was inherited from Middle English palliaten (“To palliate (a disease), relieve the symptoms of (a patient); to extenuate (an offense); to conceal, hide”), the adjective and participle from its participle palliat(e); further borrowed either from Middle French pallier or directly from Latin palliātus, perfect passive participle of palliō (“to cover with a cloak”)), from pallium (“a cloak”), see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix).

verb palliates · palliating · palliated

  1. To relieve the symptoms of; to ameliorate. And if there are some bankers out there who are still embarrassed by the size of their bonuses, then I propose that they palliate their guilt by giving to the Mayor's Fund for London to help deprived children in London.
  2. obsolete To hide or disguise.
  3. figuratively To cover or disguise the seriousness of (a mistake, offence etc.) by excuses and apologies. April 5 1628, Bishop Joseph Hall, The Blessings, Sins, and Judgments of God's Vineyard We extenuate not our guilt : whatever we sin , we condemn it as mortal : they palliate wickedness , with the fair pretence of veniality
  4. obsolete To lessen the severity of; to extenuate, moderate, qualify. "Ah, dearest!" replied he, "your spirits are exhausted,—perhaps unconsciously oppressed with the idea of that future whose pain and whose peril I have rather heightened than palliated."
  5. To placate or mollify. Bradly stopped dead, too confounded to be appalled. Young Podson! Impossible! He had last seen young Podson, a bank clerk, on the seat of a pub verandah in an inland town ninety miles away, Bradly's last painting town. A noosance, young Podson, only to be palliated on a pub verandah after dinner.
  6. obsolete, participle, past past participle of palliate (all senses) [the] most helpful method of its Cure, which yet if palliate and imperfect would onely make way to more fatal Sickness

adjective more palliate · most palliate

  1. obsolete Hidden, concealed.
  2. obsolete, rare (of a cure) superficial or temporary. All his industry and sales, did in your estate make but a palliate cure.

Translations

Every language

verb to relieve the symptoms of

Españolpaliar
Portuguêsatenuar, remediar
Françaispallier, atténuer, remèdier à, soulager
Deutschlindern

verb to cover or disguise the seriousness of something by excuses and apologies

Españolpaliar, cohonestar, encubrir, disimular
Deutschbeschönigen

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MLA

"palliate." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/palliate. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

palliate. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/palliate

Chicago

"palliate." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/palliate.

BibTeX
@misc{palliate_2026,
  title = {palliate},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/palliate},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}