Wordwyrt

extenuate

/ɪksˈtenjuːˌeɪt/ik-STEN-yoo-ayt
/ɪksˈtɛnjuˌeɪt/ik-STEN-yoo-ayt

Meaningto thin out

Common meaning: to lessen the blame for

‘out’ + ‘thin, slight’ → extenuate

Journey through time

  1. Latintenuis‘thin, slight’
  2. Englishextenuate‘to lessen the blame for’ · today

ex- also in: exitexactexaltexertexpel

tenu also in: tenuousattenuate

Sources & notes

Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.

Pronunciation

  • UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
  • No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
  • US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
  • No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.

Origin: Built on Latin tenuis ‘thin, slight’.

Did you know: our wording, based on Lewis & Short, Latin Dictionary (1879), entry tenuis, p. 1856 · dictionary scan

Roots

  • tenuis Latin “thin, slight”

Related words

attenuatetenuitytenuous

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