Alleviate
/əˈliːvieɪt/
verbIntermediate📊CommonAction
1 meaning1 question
Definitions
1
To lessen the intensity of something unpleasant or painful.
/əˈliːvieɪt/
verbpositiveIntermediate
Action
To make suffering, deficiency, or a problem less severe.
The doctor prescribed medicine to alleviate her symptoms.
💡 Simply: To make something better or easier.
More Examples
2
The new policy alleviated some of the financial burden.
How It's Used
Medical
"The medication helped to alleviate his pain."
Social Work
"The program aims to alleviate poverty in the community."
From Latin *alleviare, from ad- "to" + levis "light", meaning "to make light."
The word has been used in similar contexts since the 15th century, consistently referring to the easing of burdens or suffering.
Memory tip
Think of 'al-levi-ate' as 'making something lighter' (levis = light in Latin).
Word Origin
Original meaning
"to make light"
Base: alleviate
alleviate sufferingalleviate painalleviate symptomsalleviate poverty
Common misspellings
alieviateallevieateallieviate
Practice
Usage
20%Spoken
80%Written