Make Your Point: EXTENUATING

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pronounce EXTENUATING:

ex TEN you ate ing

connect this word to others:

The word extenuating traces back to the Latin tenuare, meaning "to make thin."

So does the word tenu___, meaning "thin: weak and flimsy, with not enough substance," as in "If you're currently in the lead, 51-to-49, that's a tenu___ lead." Can you recall that one?

(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)

definition:

The verb "extenuate," which we hardly ever use today, has Latin bits that literally mean "to thin out." If you do see it today, it probably means "to make (some crime or bad action) seem less bad, or more excusable somehow." For example, "Jean Valjean broke the window and stole the bread, but he did it because his sister's family was starving, which extenuates his crime."

These days, we do often use the adjective "extenuating" to label anything that helps make a crime seem less bad or more excusable. In other words, extenuating circumstances are the kind that make someone's bad actions seem less bad.

For example: "Valjean broke the window and stole the bread, but under extenuating circumstances: his sister's family was starving."

grammatical bits:

Part of speech:

Adjective: "Before you judge too harshly, consider the extenuating circumstances."

Other forms:

The noun is "extenuation," and it has a very formal tone, as in "He offered evidence in extenuation of his tardiness."

The adverb is "extenuatingly." It's rare.

So is the verb. Its forms are "extenuate," "extenuated," and "extenuating," as in "You absolute cannot extenuate an instance of drunk driving."

how to use it:

When you pick the formal, serious, semi-common word "extenuating," you're suggesting that someone's crime or wrongdoing has a certain weight, size, or magnitude that seems to be shrinking or thinning out. In other words, you're saying that the crime seems lighter, smaller, lesser, or less heavy.

Most often, we talk about extenuating circumstances. But sometimes we talk about extenuating factors, information, conditions, or exceptions.

Because we most often use this word quite seriously, it's perfect for unexpected humor. Here's Richard Dawkins: "Adam's sin is perhaps mitigated by the extenuating circumstance that he didn't exist."

examples:

"I won't reveal what lands her in jail, except to say she's guilty but that there are extenuating circumstances ignored by her hapless, fumbling public defender."
— Charles McGrath, New York Times, 7 May 2018

"Airbnb had an 'extenuating circumstances' policy that allowed guests to cancel reservations for stays made [before the pandemic] on or before March 14, 2020."
— Christopher Elliott, Seattle Times, 31 May 2021

has this page helped you understand "extenuating"?

Awesome, I'm glad it helped!

Thanks for letting me know!
If you have any questions about this word, please message me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.

study it:

Explain the meaning of "extenuating" without saying "softening" or "lessening."

try it out:

In your opinion, what's the difference between an excuse and an extenuating circumstance? Are they the same thing? Does it depend?

To help you decide, imagine that someone you love has committed each of the transgressions below. For each, invent an example of an excuse vs. an extenuating circumstance:

1. A college student paid a friend to write their entire thesis for them.

2. A customer bought a personalized handmade item online, noting the "No Refunds" policy, then demanded a refund.

3. A moviegoer brought their own bottled drinks and snacks into the theater, well aware of the policy against outside food and beverages.

before you review, play:

Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.

This month, our game is "Sarah In Dip a Day!"

I'll give you some song lyrics that contain a sophisticated word or phrase—but I'll swap it out for what you might hear if you didn't know that word or phrase.

Your job is to find the spot where the lyrics quit making sense, then reinterpret those words as the artist actually wrote them.

Here's an example:

"I'm on a one-way street,
My fall from grace complete,
But I feel that there's a hazard hanging over me.
But I take away the feeling that I can't see,
And now you say to me
Sarah in dip a day."
—Amaranthe

Here, the meaning breaks down at "Sarah in dip a day," which should read "Serendipity."

Try this one today:

"Son of Sam,
Fire always makes it better.
Navigate with style and a plum,
‘Cause wherever you're at,
That's the tip you's on."
—The Offspring

If you need some clues, highlight the hidden white text below.
1. The part that needs to be changed is..."a plum"
2. The term that's being sung means..."strong self-confidence and self-assurance"
To see the answer, scroll all the way down!

review this word:

1. A near opposite of EXTENUATING is

A. EXPEDITING (making something faster).
B. EXASPERATING (making someone very annoyed).
C. EXACERBATING (making something bad even worse).

2. In an opinion piece, George Will pointed out that when a strong leader oversteps or abuses their powers, some people extenuate that leader by _____

A. reminding them that no one is above the law.
B. claiming they do what they must "to make the trains run on time."
C. comparing them to "a bull who carried [their] own china shop around."

a final word:

I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love.

I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.

From my blog:
On vocabulary...
  36 ways to study words.
  Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
  How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.
On writing...
How to improve any sentence.
How to motivate our kids to write.
How to stop procrastinating and start writing.
How to bulk up your writing when you have to meet a word count.

From my heart: a profound thanks to the generous patrons, donors, and sponsors that make it possible for me to write these emails. If you'd like to be a patron or a donor, please click here. If you'd like to be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.

A disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.

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