Definition of ALLEVIATE

Other Words from alleviate

alleviation \ -ˌlē-vē-ˈā-shən

\ noun

alleviator \ -ˈlē-vē-ˌā-tər

\ noun

Choose the Right Synonym for alleviate

relieve, alleviate, lighten, assuage, mitigate, allay mean to make something less grievous. relieve implies a lifting of enough of a burden to make it tolerable. took an aspirin to relieve the pain alleviate implies temporary or partial lessening of pain or distress. the lotion alleviated the itching lighten implies reducing a burdensome or depressing weight. good news would lighten our worries assuage implies softening or sweetening what is harsh or disagreeable. ocean breezes assuaged the intense heat mitigate suggests a moderating or countering of the effect of something violent or painful. the need to mitigate barbaric laws allay implies an effective calming or soothing of fears or alarms. allayed their fears

Where does the word alleviate come from?

Alleviate derives from the past participle of Late Latin alleviare ("to lighten or relieve"), which in turn was formed by combining the prefix ad- and the adjective "levis," a Latin word meaning "light" or "having little weight." ("Levis" comes from the same ancient word that gave rise to "light" in English.) We acquired "alleviate" in the 15th century, and for the first few centuries the word could mean either "to cause (something) to have less weight" or "to make (something) more tolerable." The literal "make lighter" sense is no longer used, however, so today we have only the "relieve" sense. Incidentally, not only is "alleviate" a synonym of "relieve," it's also a cousin; "relieve" comes from "levare" ("to raise"), which in turn comes from "levis."

Examples of alleviate in a Sentence

For decades, as you probably know, researchers have found that when you tell patients that you're giving them medicine, many report that their symptoms are alleviated, even if they're only taking sugar pills. — Daniel Zwerdling, Gourmet, August 2004 Granholm has spent the morning giving a major public address on state finance issues, courting local officials in meetings, and, in between, talking with me. We'd discussed the state of the Michigan economy and her ideas for developing a new high-tech corridor outside Detroit that focuses on homeland security innovation; we went over her ideas for alleviating overcrowding in the state's emergency rooms. — Jonathan Cohn, New Republic, 14 Oct. 2002 When applied in ointment form, capsaicin helps alleviate the discomfort of arthritis and psoriasis. Taken internally as a diluted tincture, it helps keep the blood flowing smoothly and strengthens the cardiovascular system. — Nina Simonds, Gourmet, September 2002 Ridley, a British journalist with a doctoral degree in zoology, does touch on the incredible potential of genetics for alleviating human misery. … But much of his remarkable book is focused on a higher plane of pure intellectual discovery. — Lee M. Silver, New York Times Book Review, 27 Feb. 2000 Before discussing what must be done to alleviate the environmental and social crises afflicting the globe, Chief Oren Lyons … of the Turtle Clan of the Onondaga Nation, wanted to drive to a gym in Syracuse, New York, and watch his son shadowbox. — Paul Schneider, Audubon, March/April 1994 finding ways to alleviate stress a car pool alleviates some of the stress of driving the kids to and from school every day Where was someone to alleviate this robbery of his life? —“The End of the World” P. 531, THE BOOK THIEF, Markus Zusak, Alfred A. Knopf, N.Y. © 2005 The relationship between king and parliament went nowhere. Bitter speeches were made on both sides, which James’s late attempts at mollification did little to alleviate. —“Four” P. 64, GOD’S SECRETARIES, Adam Nicolson, HarperCollins Publishers Inc., 220.5 N54g ©2003 “I’m feeding a lot of excitement myself.” In fact, I felt an instant euphoria at Kimmery’s alleviating presence. If this was the prospect of Zen I was ready to begin my training. —“One Mind” P. 194, MOTHERLESS BROOKLYN [fiction], Jonathan Lethem, Vintage Books 813.54 L34m (1999) 2001

Recent Examples on the Web

The Mayo Clinic recommends breast- or bottle-feeding during takeoff and landing to help alleviate the pressure. — Marisa Lascala, Good Housekeeping, "Andy Cohen Was Just Dad-Shamed for Taking His Newborn on an Airplane," 12 Feb. 2019 But promised labor and other reforms to help alleviate the burden on families that discourage couples from having more children have made limited headway. — Mari Yamaguchi, The Seattle Times, "Japan finance minister Aso sorry for criticizing childless," 5 Feb. 2019 Fortunately, the impressively creative fight choreography helps alleviate the repetitiveness—most notably the spectacular prison fight scene in episode four. — Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, "Wilson Fisk is back and better than ever in season 3 of Daredevil," 12 Nov. 2018 Imran Khan, a former cricket star who was sworn in last week, tweeted that the two countries should focus on alleviating poverty in South Asia by pursuing new trade agreements. — Fox News, "Pakistan's new PM proposes dialogue with India," 21 Aug. 2018 Privacy - Terms Serving the public isn’t about building an attractive carcass to attract prospective developers but about alleviating the daily hardship of riders who everyday wait in the scorching sun, thunder and rain for a bus. — Fabiola Santiago, miamiherald, "South Miami-Dade leaders are right: If they settle for buses, they’ll never get rail," 6 July 2018 Comedy may be all about alleviating tension through laughter, but here there is no opportunity for the audience to dismiss her words as jokes. — Anna Silman, The Cut, "Hannah Gadsby’s Nanette Will Change the Way You Think About Comedy," 20 June 2018 Critics have faulted both candidates for their approaches to alleviating Colombia’s inequality. — Chris Kraul, latimes.com, "Right-wing candidate has the edge going into Colombia's presidential election," 16 June 2018 That amount of new income would go far toward alleviating many of Detroit’s ills with poverty, housing affordability, tax foreclosure, child care and elder care and other problems. — John Gallagher, Detroit Free Press, "These Detroiters aren't looking for jobs. Why might surprise you," 8 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'alleviate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.