Attenuate vs. Extenuate
Attenuate
Definition
Attenuate means to reduce in force, effect, or severity; to weaken.
Extenuate
Definition
Extenuate means to make a fault or offense seem less serious or more forgivable.
Example
-
The scientist aimed to attenuate the virus in the vaccine.
-
The new policies were designed to attenuate the impact of the economic downturn.
-
The sound waves were attenuated by the thick walls of the building.
Example
-
The judge decided to extenuate the defendant's sentence due to his difficult background.
-
She tried to extenuate her tardiness by explaining the traffic situation.
-
The apology helped to extenuate the offense in the eyes of her colleagues.
Other: