Palliative
Definition, Meaning & Examples
Pronunciation /ˈpælɪətɪv/ · Part of speech adjective
Quick meaning: Palliative is an adjective meaning Serving to palliate; serving to extenuate or mitigate.
Meaning
Serving to palliate; serving to extenuate or mitigate.
More Meanings
- (medicine) Something that palliates, particularly a palliative medicine.
- (medicine) Minimising the progression of a disease and relieving undesirable symptoms for as long as possible, rather than attempting to cure the (usually incurable) disease.
Example Sentences
The radiation and chemotherapy were only palliatives.
Mary heard with sorrow, and fear also, of the projected journey; but the altered expression of Isabella's countenance was a great palliative—dreadful as it was that her husband should love another.
Word Forms
- palliatives
Synonyms for palliative
Depending on context, synonyms include lenitive, mitigative, alleviative, moderating, mitigatory.
Related Words
Related dictionary entries include alleviative, mitigative, mitigatory, lenitive, moderating, mitigating.
Related Dictionary Tools
Sources & Attribution
FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0
Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.