attenuate

English

Etymology

From Latin attenuāre, from attenuāt-, at- = ad-, ad- (“to”) + tenuāre (“to make thin”), tenuis (“thin”).

Pronunciation

• IPA: /əˈtɛn.juː.eɪt/

Verb

attenuate (third-person singular simple present attenuates, present participle attenuating, simple past and past participle attenuated)

1. (transitive) To reduce in size, force, value, amount, or degree
2. (transitive) To weaken
3. (transitive) To rarefy
4. (transitive) To reduce the virulence of a bacteria or virus
5. (transitive, electronics) To reduce the amplitude of an electrical signal

Antonyms

• amplify (electronics)

Translations

To reduce

Bosnian: smanjiti (bs) Bulgarian: намалявам (bg)

Catalan: atenuar (ca) Romanian: atenua (ro)

To weaken

Bosnian: oslabiti (bs) Bulgarian: отслабвам (bg) Catalan: atenuar (ca)

Norwegian: svekke (no) Russian: ослаблять (ru) Swedish: försvaga (sv)

To rarefy

Bosnian: razrijediti (bs), prorijediti (bs)

Bulgarian: разреждам (bg)

Derived terms

• attenuation
• attenuable

Adjective

attenuate (comparative more attenuate, superlative most attenuate)

1. (botany, of leaves) Gradually tapering into a petiole-like extension toward the base.

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Italian

Verb

attenuate

1. second-person plural present indicative of attenuare
2. second-person plural imperative of attenuare
3. Feminine plural of attenuato

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Latin

Verb

attenuāte

1. first-person plural present active imperative of attenuō