different between palliative vs palliate

English

Etymology

From Middle French palliatif, from New Latin *palliativus, from Medieval Latin palliare (“to cloak”), from Latin pallium (“a cloak”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?pal??t?v/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /?pæli.e?t?v/, /?pæli.?t?v/

Adjective

palliative (comparative more palliative, superlative most palliative)

1. Serving to palliate; serving to extenuate or mitigate.
2. (medicine) Minimising the progression of a disease and relieving undesirable symptoms for as long as possible, rather than attempting to cure the (usually incurable) disease.

Related terms

• palliate
• palliation

Translations

Noun

palliative (plural palliatives)

1. (medicine) Something that palliates, particularly a palliative medicine.

   The radiation and chemotherapy were only palliatives.

See also

• Palliative care on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Further reading

• palliative in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• palliative in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• palliative at OneLook Dictionary Search

French

Adjective

palliative

1. feminine singular of palliatif

German

Pronunciation

Adjective

palliative

1. inflection of palliativ:
   1. strong/mixed nominative/accusative feminine singular
   2. strong nominative/accusative plural
   3. weak nominative all-gender singular
   4. weak accusative feminine/neuter singular

Italian

Adjective

palliative

1. feminine plural of palliativo

English

Etymology

From Latin palliatus (“cloaked”) (in Late Latin the past participle of palliare (“to cover with a cloak”)), from pallium (“cloak”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?pal?e?t/ (verb)
• (US) IPA^(key): /?pæl.i.e?t/ (verb)

Adjective

palliate (comparative more palliate, superlative most palliate)

1. (obsolete) Cloaked; hidden, concealed. [15th-17th c.]
2. (obsolete) Eased; mitigated; alleviated.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Bishop Fell to this entry?)

Verb

palliate (third-person singular simple present palliates, present participle palliating, simple past and past participle palliated)

1. To relieve the symptoms of; to ameliorate. [from 15th c.]
   • 2009, Boris Johnson, The Evening Standard, 15 Jan 09:

     And if there are some bankers out there who are still embarrassed by the size of their bonuses, then I propose that they palliate their guilt by giving to the Mayor's Fund for London to help deprived children in London.

2. (obsolete) To hide or disguise. [16th-19th c.]
3. To cover or disguise the seriousness of (a mistake, offence etc.) by excuses and apologies. [from 17th c.]
   • April 5 1628, Bishop Joseph Hall, The Blessings, Sins, and Judgments of God's Vineyard

     We extenuate not our guilt : whatever we sin , we condemn it as mortal : they palliate wickedness , with the fair pretence of veniality

4. (obsolete) To lessen the severity of; to extenuate, moderate, qualify. [17th-18th c.]
   • 1924, Herman Melville, Billy Budd, London: Constable & Co., Chapter 18, [1]

     If, mindless of palliating circumstances, we are bound to regard the death of the Master-at-arms as the prisoner's deed, then does that deed constitute a capital crime whereof the penalty is a mortal one?

5. To placate or mollify. [from 17th c.]
   • 2007, "Looking towards a Brown future", The Guardian, 25 Jan 07:

     Brown's options for the machinery of Whitehall are constrained, as for all prime ministers, by the need to palliate allies and hug enemies close (John Reid, say).

Related terms

• palliation
• palliative
• pallium

Translations

References

• Paternoster, Lewis M. and Frager-Stone, Ruth. Three Dimensions of Vocabulary Growth. Second Edition. Amsco School Publications: USA. 1998.

Latin

Adjective

palli?te

1. vocative masculine singular of palli?tus

References

• palliate in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition, 1883–1887)