palliative

play

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

Definition of palliative

:serving to palliate

palliative surgery

palliative care

palliative drugs

—

palliatively

adverb

See palliative defined for kids

Recent Examples of palliative from the Web

This AM my brave brother Gary Griffin passed away in palliative care after a brutal struggle w cancer.

— lisa gutierrez, kansascity, "Kathy Griffin shaves her head in solidarity with her sister who has cancer," 1 Aug. 2017
Error loading player: No playable sources found My wife snuck into her father’s ward on the palliative care unit where he was being treated for cancer in the summer of 2006.

— matt mcallester, Newsweek, "Cancer Treatment Is Changing: Meet the People Rebelling Against the Disease," 20 July 2017
Charlie’s parents opposed his doctors’ preference to move the baby to a palliative care regime and take him off life support.

— kate samuelson / london, Time, "How U.S. Conservatives Have Changed the Fight for Charlie Gard's Future," 14 July 2017
Palliative care is a specialized approach to treating the physical symptoms of a serious illness as well as the mental, emotional and spiritual concerns that accompany it.

— lara korte, Cincinnati.com, "How to keep mental, emotional well-being while treating chronic illnesses," 10 July 2017
OPIOIDS PUSHED FOR PAIN Oregon has been at the forefront of a movement to control people's pain, including an early emphasis on palliative care and hospice services.

— lynne terry, OregonLive.com, "Oregon leads U.S. in seniors hospitalized for opioids," 7 July 2017
His concern reflected a long-standing ethical debate about when palliative care is more appropriate for terminally ill children — a debate that can be even more acute in a Catholic hospital.

— maria cheng, The Seattle Times, "‘Pope’s hospital’ put children at risk as it chased profits," 3 July 2017
But day after day, person after person, small acts of decency can have a cumulative effect — and a palliative effect for those already under siege.

— whitney phillips, Time, "We Are All Internet Bullies," 30 June 2017
The groom’s mother, a pediatrician, and father, a geriatrician and palliative medicine specialist, share a practice in New York.

— New York Times, "Phoebe White, Divya Narendra," 18 June 2017

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

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

Since its inception in 2001, the Summa Health Sapphire Ball has raised more than $9 million to benefit health system improvements and programs that include women's health, hospice and palliative care and the Summa Health Equity Center.

— jennifer conn, akron reporter, cleveland.com, "Summa Health System's Sapphire Ball to feature the Four Tops," 23 Aug. 2017
Mercy Health - Cincinnati will continue its speaker series with a discussion of palliative care on July 12 at the Mayerson JCC in Amberley Village.

— lara korte, Cincinnati.com, "How to keep mental, emotional well-being while treating chronic illnesses," 10 July 2017
Uslander doesn’t dispute that palliative care can go a long way toward easing the burdens of terminal patients.

— paul sisson, sandiegouniontribune.com, "What it takes, money and otherwise, for patients to kill themselves in California," 2 July 2017
The association excluded claims from members with cancer and those enrolled in hospice or palliative care.

— amy yurkanin, AL.com, "Blue Cross report finds alarming trends in Alabama opioid prescriptions," 1 July 2017
At least 84 percent were already enrolled in hospice or palliative care.

— hattie xu, sacbee, "California assisted suicide patients are mostly white, well-educated," 30 June 2017
Several studies show that early palliative care has been shown to help patients live longer and better.

— liz szabo, CNN, "Despite options, many cancer patients are left in the dark," 15 June 2017
The American Society of Clinical Oncology, the country's largest group of cancer specialists, now recommends that everyone with advanced cancer receive palliative care within eight weeks of diagnosis.

— liz szabo, CNN, "Despite options, many cancer patients are left in the dark," 15 June 2017
Dignity therapy has gained traction in recent years as hospitals, hospice organizations and palliative care centers look for drug-free ways to pacify patients.

— sammy caiola, sacbee.com, "What will your last words be? Legacy therapy helps dying patients tell their stories," 6 June 2017

First Known Use of palliative

1656

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

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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