palliative
adjective
- serving to mitigate or improve
- medical assistance with the goal of reducing pain and progression of a disease
noun
- treatment that improves but does not cure
Wiktionary
Pronunciation: /ˈpælɪətɪv/ / /ˈpælieɪtɪv/ / /ˈpæliətɪv/
adj
Etymology: From Middle French palliatif, from New Latin *palliātīvus, from Medieval Latin palliō (“to cloak”), from Latin pallium (“a cloak”).
- Serving to palliate; serving to extenuate or mitigate.
- Minimising the progression of a disease and relieving undesirable symptoms for as long as possible, rather than attempting to cure the (usually incurable) disease.
noun
Etymology: From Middle French palliatif, from New Latin *palliātīvus, from Medieval Latin palliō (“to cloak”), from Latin pallium (“a cloak”).
- Something that palliates, particularly a palliative medicine.
“The radiation and chemotherapy were only palliatives.”
“Mary heard with sorrow, and fear also, of the projected journey; but the altered expression of Isabella's countenance was a great palliative—dreadful as it was that her husband should love another...”