1. (

• extenuation ,
• mitigation ,
• palliation ,

) to act in such a way as to cause an offense to seem less serious ;

2. (

• extenuation ,
• mitigation

) a partial excuse to mitigate censure; an attempt to represent an offense as less serious than it appears by showing mitigating circumstances ;

3. (

• moderation ,
• mitigation ,

) the action of lessening in severity or intensity; "the object being control or moderation of economic depressions" ;