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Palliate vs Mitigate - What's the difference?

palliate | mitigate | Synonyms |

Mitigate is a synonym of palliate.



As verbs the difference between palliate and mitigate

is that palliate is to relieve the symptoms of; to ameliorate while mitigate is to reduce, lessen, or decrease.

As an adjective palliate

is cloaked; hidden, concealed.

palliate

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • (obsolete) Cloaked; hidden, concealed.
  • (Bishop Hall)
  • (obsolete) Eased; mitigated; alleviated.
  • (Bishop Fell)

    Verb

    (palliat)
  • To relieve the symptoms of; to ameliorate.
  • * 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.
  • (obsolete) To hide or disguise.
  • To cover or disguise the seriousness of (a mistake, offence etc.) by excuses and apologies.
  • (obsolete) To lessen the severity of; to extenuate, moderate, qualify.
  • To placate or mollify.
  • * 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).

    References

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

    mitigate

    English

    Verb

    (mitigat)
  • To reduce, lessen, or decrease.
  • * 1795
  • Measures are pursuing to prevent or mitigate the usual consequences of such outrages, and with the hope of their succeeding at least to avert general hostility.
  • * 1813
  • But in yielding to it the retaliation has been mitigated as much as possible, both in its extent and in its character...
  • * 1896
  • Then they tell us that vaccination will mitigate the disease that it will make it milder.
  • * 1901 — , ch 7
  • Then I discovered the brilliance of the landscape around was mitigated by blue spectacles.
  • * 1920
  • The plague had not been kind to him, yet had left him this small furry thing to mitigate his sorrow; and when one is very young, one can find great relief in the lively antics of a black kitten.
  • To downplay.
  • Synonyms

    * (to reduce or lessen) check, diminish, ease, lighten, mollify, pacify, palliate

    Antonyms

    * (to reduce or lessen) aggrandize, aggravate, exacerbate, incite, increase, intensify, irritate, worsen

    Coordinate terms

    * (l)