alleviate

verb

al·le·vi·ate | \ ə-ˈlē-vē-ˌāt

alleviated; alleviating; alleviates

Definition of alleviate

: relieve, lessen: such as

a : to make (something, such as pain or suffering) more bearable a drug that alleviates the symptoms using relaxation techniques to alleviate stress To draw customers, [Richard G.] Rosenberg became certified in pedorthics—an area that involves the design, make and modification of shoes to alleviate foot ailments.— Dana Hedgpeth

b : to partially remove or correct (something undesirable) government programs to alleviate poverty Enticing retirees into the work force to alleviate the current labor shortage …— Cullen Murphy

Other Words from alleviate Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym Where does the word alleviate come from? Example Sentences Learn More about alleviate

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Other Words from alleviate

alleviation \ ə-ˌlē-vē-ˈā-shən

\ noun

the alleviation of arthritic pain … the stability of the developed world is as dependent on alleviation of problems in the third world as on the ability to keep the nuclear arms race under control. — Carl Marcy

alleviator \ ə-ˈlē-vē-ˌā-tər

\ noun, plural alleviators

… firefighters' camaraderie with the city and with each other is the biggest stress alleviator, [former Boston Fire Commissioner Paul] Christian said. — Justine Hoffher

Synonyms & Antonyms for alleviate

Synonyms

Antonyms

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

Recent Examples on the Web The ferry, which will get to San Francisco in 20 minutes, will help alleviate that problem. — J.k. Dineen, San Francisco Chronicle, "After 23 years, Alameda's waterfront sees residential building boom," 27 Mar. 2021 Congress can help alleviate this problem by reforming ITC processes, limiting its scope, and increasing the costs for filing a frivolous lawsuit. — Wayne Winegarden, Forbes, "Frivolous Patent Litigation Threatens The Technology Revolution," 4 Mar. 2021 But officials say it’s a necessary step to complete other transit projects, add more train capacity and to alleviate crowding at Penn Station. — New York Times, "Let There Be Light, and Art, in the Moynihan Train Hall," 30 Dec. 2020 The agreement aims to alleviate the strain tourism-dependent businesses in the state are seeing during the pandemic. — Author: Shannon Mcmahon, Anchorage Daily News, "Hawaii’s new remote-work program will cover your airfare in exchange for volunteering," 2 Dec. 2020 Several Beachwood homes have been plagued by flooding in recent times, which has led council to hold committee meetings to try to determine how to alleviate the problem. — cleveland, "Beachwood to purchase backflow preventers to try to limit basement flooding," 20 Oct. 2020 Doctors took measures to alleviate swelling in the child’s brain and tried to save him. — NBC News, "Texas city where boy, 6, died of brain-eating amoeba to purge water system for 60 days," 29 Sep. 2020 Studies have shown that populations of color experience significantly more stress than white people—a condition that yoga has been shown to alleviate. — Raksha Vasudevan, Outside Online, "This Yoga Co-Op Is Diversifying Teacher Training," 31 July 2020 Semiconductor companies can take some short-term steps to alleviate some of the pain, Pat Gelsinger said in an interview, adding that Intel aims to boost production of automotive chips within six to nine months. — Washington Post, "Chip shortage will last beyond 2022 as demand far outstrips supply, Intel chief says," 13 Apr. 2021

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.