Extenuating

the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English
  • adjective. serving or tending to reduce the severity of guilt or blameworthiness.
  • Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
  • verb. Present participle of extenuate.
  • adjective. That lessens the seriousness of something by providing an excuse
  • WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
  • adjective. partially excusing or justifying
  • Word Usage
    "There may be what you call extenuating circumstances -- though I can't quite imagine it."
    Equivalent
    Synonym
    Words with the same meaning
    verb-stem
    extenuate