palliative

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UK/ˈpælɪətɪv/US/ˈpælieɪtɪv/US/ˈpæliətɪv/

adjective

Serving to palliate; serving to extenuate or mitigate.

“The radiation and chemotherapy were only palliatives.”

Similar
alleviativealleviatorylenitivemitigativemitigatorymoderatingalleviantalleviator
OriginMiddle French palliatif ← New Latin *palliātīvus ← Medieval Latin palliō →
Less commonScrabble 15
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Meanings

adjectivepalliative (comparative more palliative, superlative most palliative)

comparative more palliative · superlative most palliative

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

plural palliatives

  1. medicineSomething that palliates, particularly a palliative medicine.

    The radiation and chemotherapy were only palliatives.

    1 more example

    Mary heard with sorrow, and fear also, of the projected journey; but the altered expression of Isabella's countenance was a great palliative—dreadful as it was that her husband should love another...

    1842, [anonymous collaborator of Letitia Elizabeth Landon], chapter XXVIII, in Lady Anne Granard; or, Keeping up Appearances. […], volume II, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, page 66

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectivemoderating pain or sorrow by making it easier to bear

Similar
alleviativealleviatorylenitivemitigativemitigatorymoderating

nounremedy that alleviates pain without curing

Similar
alleviantalleviator
Broader
remedycurativecure
Also see
alleviantalleviativealleviatoralleviatorylenitivemitigativemitigatory

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Latinpallium“a cloak”
  2. Medieval Latinpalliō“to cloak”
  3. New Latin*palliātīvus
  4. Middle Frenchpalliatif
  5. Englishpalliative

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

More words from Middle French, New Latin, Medieval Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic مُلَطِّف, مُخَفِّف
  • مُلَطِّف (mulaṭṭif)reducing progression and relieving symptoms
  • مُخَفِّف (muḵaffif)reducing progression and relieving symptoms
  • مُسَكِّن (musakkin)reducing progression and relieving symptoms
  • تَلْطِيفِيّ (talṭīfiyy)reducing progression and relieving symptoms
Bulgarian облекчаващ
  • облекчаващ (oblekčavašt)reducing progression and relieving symptoms
Catalan pal·liatiu
  • pal·liatiureducing progression and relieving symptoms
Chinese Mandarin 緩和的 /缓和的, 姑息的
  • 緩和的 /缓和的 (huǎnhé de)reducing progression and relieving symptoms
  • 姑息的 (gūxī de, gūxí de)reducing progression and relieving symptoms
Czech paliativní, zmírňující
  • paliativníreducing progression and relieving symptoms
  • zmírňujícíreducing progression and relieving symptoms
  • útěšnýreducing progression and relieving symptoms
  • úlevnýreducing progression and relieving symptoms
Finnish palliatiivinen, oireita lievittävä
  • palliatiivinenreducing progression and relieving symptoms
  • oireita lievittäväreducing progression and relieving symptoms
French palliatif
  • palliatifreducing progression and relieving symptoms
German palliativ, beschönigend
  • palliativreducing progression and relieving symptoms
  • beschönigendreducing progression and relieving symptoms
  • linderndreducing progression and relieving symptoms
Greek καταπραϋντικός
  • καταπραϋντικός (katapraÿntikós)reducing progression and relieving symptoms
Hebrew מקל
  • מקל (makel)reducing progression and relieving symptoms
Indonesian paliatif
  • paliatifreducing progression and relieving symptoms
Italian palliativo
  • palliativoreducing progression and relieving symptoms
Japanese 一時的に緩和する
  • 一時的に緩和する (ichijiteki ni kanwa suru)reducing progression and relieving symptoms
Korean 완화
  • 완화 (wanhwa)reducing progression and relieving symptoms
Polish paliatywny
  • paliatywnyreducing progression and relieving symptoms
Portuguese paliativo
  • paliativoreducing progression and relieving symptoms
Russian паллиати́вный
  • паллиати́вный (palliatívnyj)reducing progression and relieving symptoms
Spanish paliativo
  • paliativoreducing progression and relieving symptoms
Swedish lindrande, palliativ
  • lindrandereducing progression and relieving symptoms
  • palliativreducing progression and relieving symptoms
Turkish palyatif
  • palyatifreducing progression and relieving symptoms
Ukrainian паліати́вний
  • паліати́вний (paliatývnyj)reducing progression and relieving symptoms
Cite this entry
APA

palliative. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/palliative

MLA

“palliative.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/palliative. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “palliative,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/palliative.

Source: palliative on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.