lenitive

[ len-i-tiv ]
See synonyms for: lenitivelenitives on Thesaurus.com

adjective
  1. softening, soothing, or mitigating, as medicines or applications.

  2. mildly laxative.

noun
  1. a lenitive medicine or application.

  2. a mild laxative.

  1. Archaic. anything that softens or soothes.

Origin of lenitive

1
From the Medieval Latin word lēnītīvus, dating back to 1535–45. See lenition, -ive

Other words from lenitive

  • len·i·tive·ly, adverb
  • len·i·tive·ness, noun

Words Nearby lenitive

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How to use lenitive in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for lenitive

lenitive

/ (ˈlɛnɪtɪv) /


adjective
  1. soothing or alleviating pain or distress

noun
  1. obsolete a lenitive drug

Origin of lenitive

1
C16: from Medieval Latin lēnītīvus, from Latin lēnīre to soothe

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012