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alleviate

 - 4 dictionary results

al⋅le⋅vi⋅ate

  [uh-lee-vee-eyt]
Use alleviate in a Sentence
–verb (used with object), -at⋅ed, -at⋅ing.
to make easier to endure; lessen; mitigate: to alleviate sorrow; to alleviate pain.
Origin:
1425–75; late ME alleviaten < LL alleviātus (ptp. of alleviāre), equiv. to al- al- + levi(s) light, not heavy + -ātus -ate 1

Synonyms:
lighten, diminish, abate, relieve, assuage.

Antonyms:
increase, strengthen; aggravate, intensify.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To alleviate
al·le·vi·ate   (ə-lē'vē-āt')   
tr.v.   al·le·vi·at·ed, al·le·vi·at·ing, al·le·vi·ates
To make (pain, for example) more bearable: a drug that alleviates cold symptoms. See Synonyms at relieve.

[Middle English alleviaten, from Late Latin alleviāre, alleviāt-, to lighten : Latin ad-, ad- + levis, light; see legwh- in Indo-European roots.]
al·le'vi·a'tion n., al·le'vi·a'tor n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

alleviate 
1528, from L.L. alleviatus, pp. of alleviare "to lighten," from L. ad- "to" + levis "light" in weight (see lever).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: al·le·vi·ate
Pronunciation: &-'lE-vE-"At
Function: transitive verb
Inflected Forms: -at·ed;-at·ing
: to make (as symptoms) less severe or more bearable alleviate itching> —al·le·vi·a·tion /-"lE-vE-'A-sh&n/ noun
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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