aggravating circumstance

noun

A factor that increases the culpability or deleterious consequences of a wrongful act.

Similar
aggravating factoraggravation
Opposite
extenuating circumstanceattenuating circumstancemitigating circumstancemitigating factor
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Meanings

nounaggravating circumstance (plural aggravating circumstances)

plural aggravating circumstances

  1. in pluralor general usagelawA factor that increases the culpability or deleterious consequences of a wrongful act.

    Synonyms: aggravating factor, aggravation · Antonyms: extenuating circumstance, attenuating circumstance, mitigating circumstance, mitigating factor

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA factor that increases the culpability or deleterious consequences of a wrongful act.

Similar
aggravating factoraggravation
Opposite
extenuating circumstanceattenuating circumstancemitigating circumstancemitigating factor
Also see
aggravating factor

Translations

Dutch verzwarende omstandigheid
  • verzwarende omstandigheida factor that increases the culpability or deleterious consequences of a wrongful act
Finnish raskauttava asianhaara, raskauttava seikka
  • raskauttava asianhaaraa factor that increases the culpability or deleterious consequences of a wrongful act
  • raskauttava seikkaa factor that increases the culpability or deleterious consequences of a wrongful act
French circonstance aggravante
  • circonstance aggravantea factor that increases the culpability or deleterious consequences of a wrongful act
German erschwerender Umstand
  • erschwerender Umstanda factor that increases the culpability or deleterious consequences of a wrongful act
Hungarian súlyosbító körülmény, súlyosító körülmény
  • súlyosbító körülménya factor that increases the culpability or deleterious consequences of a wrongful act
  • súlyosító körülménya factor that increases the culpability or deleterious consequences of a wrongful act
Italian circostanza aggravante
  • circostanza aggravantea factor that increases the culpability or deleterious consequences of a wrongful act
Polish okoliczność obciążająca
  • okoliczność obciążającaa factor that increases the culpability or deleterious consequences of a wrongful act
Russian отягча́ющее обстоя́тельство
  • отягча́ющее обстоя́тельство (otjagčájuščeje obstojátelʹstvo)a factor that increases the culpability or deleterious consequences of a wrongful act
Spanish circunstancia agravante / agravadora
  • circunstancia agravante / agravadoraa factor that increases the culpability or deleterious consequences of a wrongful act
Cite this entry
APA

aggravating circumstance. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/aggravating%20circumstance

MLA

“aggravating circumstance.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/aggravating%20circumstance. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “aggravating circumstance,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/aggravating%20circumstance.

Source: aggravating circumstance on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.