| n. | 1. | The act of axtenuating or the state of being extenuated; the act of making thin, slender, or lean, or of palliating; diminishing, or lessening; palliation, as of a crime; mitigation, as of punishment. |
| Noun | 1. | extenuation - a partial excuse to mitigate censure; an attempt to represent an offense as less serious than it appears by showing mitigating circumstances Synonyms: mitigation |
| 2. | extenuation - to act in such a way as to cause an offense to seem less serious Synonyms: mitigation, palliation |
EXTENUATION. That which renders a crime or tort less heinous than it would
be without it: it is opposed to aggravation. (q.v. )
2. In general, extenuating circumstances go in mitigation of punishment
in criminal cases, or of damages in those of a civil nature. See
Aggravation; Mitigation.