palliative

1 of 2

adjective

pal·​li·​a·​tive ˈpa-lē-ˌā-tiv  ˈpal-yə- 

: serving to palliate

palliative surgery

palliative care

palliative drugs

palliatively adverb

palliative

2 of 2

noun

: something that palliates

Examples of palliative in a Sentence

Noun

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 on the Web

Adjective

Both sides agreed on the need to make improvements in palliative care and greater investments in hospices to ease suffering. —Arkansas Online, 21 June 2025

Hospice and palliative care can address the physical and existential suffering of most but not all dying patients. —Jasmine Laws, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 June 2025

Noun

End-of-life patients in palliative or hospice care would also qualify for the Texas Compassionate Use Program (TCUP), as the state’s medical cannabis program is known. —A.j. Herrington, Forbes.com, 22 June 2025

End-of-life patients in palliative or hospice care would qualify patients for the Texas Compassionate Use Program (TCUP), as the current state medical cannabis program is known. —A.j. Herrington, Forbes.com, 2 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1656, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

palliative

1 of 2 adjective

pal·​li·​a·​tive ˈpal-ē-ˌāt-iv  ˈpal-yət- 

: serving to palliate

palliative

2 of 2 noun

: something that palliates

Medical Definition

palliative

1 of 2 adjective

pal·​lia·​tive ˈpal-ē-ˌāt-iv  ˈpal-yət- 

: 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

palliatively adverb

palliative

2 of 2 noun

: something that reduces the severity of a disease or condition without curing it