palliative

adjective pal·li·a·tive \ ˈpa-lē-ˌā-tiv , ˈpal-yə- \

Updated on: 17 May 2018

Definition of palliative

: serving to palliate

palliative surgery

palliative care

palliative drugs

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palliatively

adverb

See palliative defined for kids

Recent Examples of palliative from the Web

The appeals court and European Court of Human Rights upheld the original ruling: that Evans should be taken off life support and provided with palliative care.

— tara isabella burton, Vox, "The controversy surrounding terminally ill British toddler Alfie Evans, explained," 27 Apr. 2018
Early palliative care can even potentially extend survival in complex and chronic diseases.

— amanda alladin, m.d., miamiherald, "Pediatric palliative care: living with hope and quality throughout illness | Miami Herald," 24 Apr. 2018
Cake’s other cofounder, palliative care doctor Mark Zhang, isn’t surprised by the reluctance.

— robert weisman, BostonGlobe.com, "End-of-life software has a problem: Users who don’t want to think about it," 10 Feb. 2018
But 5% of heart failure remains refractory to medical treatment, and in these patients palliative care has been shown to improve patient satisfaction and decrease costs.

— marc siegel, WSJ, "Barbara Bush Faces Death With Courage," 16 Apr. 2018
Her voice is pleasingly scratchy, with a low hum underneath—the auditory equivalent of a palliative scalp massage.

— caity weaver, GQ, "There's Something Funny About Tiffany Haddish," 26 Mar. 2018
British doctors with the National Health Service gave her up to a year to live and offered only palliative care with chemotherapy.

— lindsay gellman, Longreads, "The Last Resort," 22 Mar. 2018
While there is a clear distinction between MCI and dementia, according to Dr. Bruce Troen, chief of geriatrics and palliative medicine at the University at Buffalo Medical School there is a 3-fold increase in risk for dementia among those with MCI.

— joseph frankel, Newsweek, "Exercise to Improve Memory and Slow Dementia, New Recommendations Say," 28 Dec. 2017
The restrictions wouldn’t apply to patients suffering pain related to cancer, terminal illness, palliative care or serious traumatic injuries.

— orlando sentinel, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Florida House OKs opioid prescription limits," 1 Mar. 2018

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

First Known Use of palliative

15th century

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

Other Medicine Terms

analgesia, angina, diabetes, hepatitis, homeopathy, logorrhea, palliate, pandemic

palliative

noun

Definition of palliative

: something that palliates

See palliative defined for English-language learners

Examples of palliative in a Sentence

The disease has no cure, but a number of palliatives exist.
Travel is like a palliative against depression for him.
symbolic palliatives for inner-city troubles

Recent Examples of palliative from the Web

After the Second World War, Nazi attorneys at the Nuremberg trials used Hall’s writings, and those of Eugenics contributors, as palliatives for Nazi atrocities.

— ruth margalit, The New Yorker, "The Mail," 11 May 2018
The sentence is spoken to a palliative-care nurse who has been tending the writer’s dying mother.

— sam anderson, New York Times, "New Sentences: From Meredith Goldstein’s ‘Can’t Help Myself’," 9 May 2018
Long-term care insurance Long-term care insurance covers many types of long-term care and benefits, including palliative and hospice care.

— sandiegouniontribune.com, "Paying for long-term care: private financing options," 25 Apr. 2018
These days, Levy's practice is primarily focused on providing acupuncture and palliative care to animals in their homes.

— kate bennis, Good Housekeeping, "How Dog Acupuncture Could Change Your Pet's Life," 27 Apr. 2018
In summary, pediatric palliative care aims to bring light to a dark time and a sense of peace.

— amanda alladin, m.d., miamiherald, "Pediatric palliative care: living with hope and quality throughout illness | Miami Herald," 24 Apr. 2018
Burda said palliative care allows the patient the option of going back and forth to the hospital.

— donna vickroy, Daily Southtown, "Hospice is different from palliative care but both are considered 'comfort care'," 20 Apr. 2018
In fact, the growth of palliative care and hospice is one of the most significant movements in recent years.

— guest columnist/cleveland.com, cleveland.com, "Hospice and palliative experts extend family doctor's care at end of life: Dr. Walter George (Opinion)," 15 Apr. 2018
Choosing palliative care felt to Kate like giving up.

— lindsay gellman, Longreads, "The Last Resort," 22 Mar. 2018

First Known Use of palliative

1656

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

Other Medicine Terms

analgesia, angina, diabetes, hepatitis, homeopathy, logorrhea, palliate, pandemic

PALLIATIVE Defined for English Language Learners

palliative

noun

Definition of palliative for English Language Learners

medical : something that reduces the effects or symptoms of a medical condition without curing it
: something that is intended to make a bad situation seem better but that does not really improve the situation

Medical Dictionary

palliative

adjective pal·lia·tive \ ˈpal-ē-ˌāt-iv , ˈpal-yət- \

medical Definition of palliative

: reducing the severity of a disease or condition without curing it : providing palliative care

palliative treatment

Although valve replacement is an important advance in the treatment of patients with valve disease, it is a palliative rather than a curative procedure.
—Robert A. O'Rourke, The Journal of the American Medical Association, 13 Aug. 1982

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