1. makes (a fault or offense) seem less serious by providing partial excuses or explanations
Usage: formal; third person singular present tense of ‘extenuate’

Examples

• The defendant’s lawyer argues that his difficult childhood extenuates his crime.
• Nothing extenuates the severity of breaking a promise to a friend.
• Her genuine remorse extenuates the mistake she made at work.
• The judge noted that the defendant’s cooperation extenuates his sentence.
• While poverty doesn’t excuse theft, it certainly extenuates the circumstances.
• His inexperience extenuates the error, but doesn’t eliminate responsibility.