palliation

English

Etymology

Old (and modern) French, from late Latin palliare (“cover”), from pallium.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pælɪˈeɪʃən/

  Rhymes: -eɪʃən

Noun

palliation (countable and uncountable, plural palliations)

1. The alleviation of a disease's symptoms without a cure; temporary relief.
   • 1922, Ben Travers, chapter 5, in A Cuckoo in the Nest:

     The most rapid and most seductive transition in all human nature is that which attends the palliation of a ravenous appetite. There is something humiliating about it.

   • 1985, Anthony Burgess, The Kingdom of the Wicked

     Una nox dormienda means that one final night that has to be slept through after a few score years of pain and its palliations, of pleasure and disgust after pleasure.

2. Extenuation; mitigation.
   • 1837, Letitia Elizabeth Landon, Ethel Churchill, volume 2, page 235:

     The strong hand of the law is around your life and your wealth, but he who takes from you all that renders them valuable, the chances are, that his offence will find palliation and excuse; nay, that the laughers will be on his side.

Translations

palliation

• Bulgarian: облекчаване (bg) (oblekčavane)
• Finnish: lievitys (fi)
• Russian: облегчение (ru) n (oblexčenije)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Serbo-Croatian: palijacija, palijativa