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alleviate

UK/əˈli.vi.eɪt/US/əˈli.vi.eɪt/
verbC1Occasional — familiar, but not everyday · #10,844 of 15,258leans written

Other forms: alleviated, alleviating, alleviates

To alleviate is to make pain or a problem less severe. Alleviate suffering, alleviate the symptoms, alleviate poverty.

It reduces rather than removes, which is exactly what the word promises and why it is honest in medicine: alleviating symptoms is not curing the disease, and saying so plainly matters. It is formal. Note that the Latin means to lighten, from levis, light — the same root as levity and elevate.

Definitions of alleviate

  1. 1verballeviateTo make pain or a problem less severe.C1

    “The doctor gave him some tablets to alleviate the pain in his back.”

alleviate is a lessening.

Also accepted in games: ease, relieve

Where it comes from

Latin alleviare is ad plus levis, light — to lighten. Levity, elevate and lever come from the same lightness.

  1. Latin

    alleviatus

  2. English, today

    alleviate

Built from

  • allevio · Latin — to lighten; to alleviate

Latin alleviatus, past participle of allevio (“to lighten; to alleviate”). by surface analysis, al- + lev- + -i- + -ate.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA

Practised in Sharper Verbs

Practise this word

alleviate in the wild

  • Pilates developed in the aftermath of the late 19th century physical culture of exercising in order to alleviate ill health.

    Pilates

  • There is however only limited evidence to support the use of Pilates to alleviate problems such as lower back pain.

    Pilates

  • In 1991, the service was formed to provide commuter service and to alleviate traffic congestion.

    Clean Air Express

  • Founded in 1865, its purpose is to prevent and alleviate human suffering wherever and whenever it occurs, voluntarily and without discrimination.

    Swedish Red Cross

  • The newly created Eighth and Ninth circuits were designed to alleviate the judicial needs of newly created western states.

    Eighth and Ninth Circuits Act of 1837

From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. These sentences were written by other people about their own subjects; they are here to show the word at work, not as anybody’s opinion.