-yü-ˌāt
Bernard Lewis
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Attenuate ultimately comes from a combining of the Latin prefix ad-, meaning “to” or “toward,” and tenuis, meaning “thin,” a pedigree that is in keeping with the English word’s current meanings, which all have to do with literal or metaphorical thinning. The word is most common in technical contexts, where it often implies the reduction or weakening of something by physical or chemical means. You can attenuate wire by drawing it through successively smaller holes, for example, or attenuate gold by hammering it into thin sheets. Current evidence dates the term to the 16th century, in which we find many references to bodily humors in need of being attenuated; modern medicine prefers to use the word in reference to procedures that weaken a pathogen or reduce the severity of a disease.
Examples of attenuate in a Sentence
Ellen Choi, Forbes.com, 16 June 2025
Sometimes, adding a caveat to a declarative message serves to attenuate — or even to completely undermine — that message.
—Charles C. W. Cooke, National Review, 10 June 2025
With a cease-fire in place, however, the United States and Europe could consider making limited improvements to their economic relations with Russia, which would help attenuate Russia’s ties with China.
—Christopher S. Chivvis, Foreign Affairs, 18 Mar. 2025
The problem is that in the constant switchback of perspectives, the play, directed by Phylicia Rashad, grows too hectic and attenuated to maintain a line of conviction.
—Jesse Green, New York Times, 18 Mar. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Attenuate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/attenuate. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
attenuate
transitive verb
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