What's the difference between extenuating and lessen?
Extenuating
Definition:
(p. pr. & vb. n.) of Extenuate
Example Sentences:
(1) Can't put a finger on it, though there were obvious extenuating personal circumstances in the case of the two most anticipated acts (Gaga and Cole).
(2) It is our opinion that except for certain extenuating circumstances, the procedure of choice for carcinoma of the breast is either a modified or standard radical mastectomy.
(3) These negative feelings and negative self-images are exploited so as to appease the superego in the face of one's hostile aggression: that one is justified, that there are extenuating circumstances for one's hatred and destructiveness.
(4) Other recent IOM research shows that the majority had not intended to travel to Europe when leaving home, but had been forced to change their destinations due to extenuating circumstances such as the Libyan civil war.
(5) The intravenous urogram, including the initial plain film, remains the primary diagnostic modality and, in the absence of extenuating clinical features, is often the sole test required to make a decision regarding the best therapeutic modality.
(6) Uruguay recently legalised first trimester interventions, while Colombia, Brazil and Argentina allow abortion in rape and other extenuating circumstances.
(7) "What I am saying is that I don't think everyone should be chucked into prison regardless of the circumstances, with no discretion, no exceptions and no extenuating circumstances.
(8) Thirdly, it starts to admit extenuations and exceptions.
(9) These changes develop by an increase in mean arterial pressure, the reduction of the sympathetic activity, and probably of an extenuation of the splanchnic vasodilation.
(10) Hence, chronic administration of lithium leads to potentiation in its action of the serotonin-negative and central adreno-negative componets and to extenuating the peripheral adreno-negative component.
(11) "Due to extenuating circumstances, Secret Cinema is unable to receive guests at tonight's show of Secret Cinema presents Back to the Future" the statement read.
(12) The government already has precious little trust in grassroots British Muslim circles on their preventing extremism agenda – and if the suggested plans are true then that disconnect will simply extenuate the circumstances, making us all that much less safe.
(13) Subjects' rating indicated that (a) biology was judged important for explaining negative moods occurring premenstrually: (b) inconsistency between mood and environment produced more internal (personality) attributions, while consistency enhanced external attributions; and (c) emotionally expressive behavior was thought to reflect underlying personality dispositions despite extenuating situational factors (assumed personal causation).
(14) Both had very extenuating circumstances making complete repair inappropriate.
(15) Adam's sin is perhaps mitigated by the extenuating circumstance that he didn't exist.
(16) The population studies as representative of psychiatric extenuation are a personal consecutive sample of court referrals for formal evaluation undertaken in a psychiatric hospital unit.
(17) Only extenuating circumstances justify these risks when general anesthesia is available.
(18) In some cases, there were extenuating circumstances which, when combined with obstetrical intervention, resulted in an increase in mortality.
(19) Secret Cinema said that the cancellation was due to "extenuating circumstances".
(20) The 49ers are in his backyard.” Martin must pass a physical for the trade to be officially executed, but that’s expected for be a formality for the 42nd overall pick in the 2012 draft, who will now hope to fulfil his potential in a new environment after underperforming - albeit with extenuating circumstances - in Miami.
Lessen
Definition:
(a.) To make less; to reduce; to make smaller, or fewer; to diminish; to lower; to degrade; as, to lessen a kingdom, or a population; to lessen speed, rank, fortune.
(v. i.) To become less; to shrink; to contract; to decrease; to be diminished; as, the apparent magnitude of objects lessens as we recede from them; his care, or his wealth, lessened.
Example Sentences:
(1) The transmission of alcoholism and its effects are thereby lessened for future generations of children of alcoholics.
(2) Bacteria can stop or lessen antibodies synthesis process.
(3) Behavioral variables, including interreinforcement interval and drug self-administration history, appear to be important determinants of whether or not reinforcement will be demonstrated, particularly among the benzodiazepines; but the range of conditions under which behavioral and pharmacological variables interact to promote or lessen the likelihood of self-administration of these drugs remains to be determined experimentally.
(4) "It is in my power to lessen their sentence – it's not excluded that that will happen."
(5) Diminished pressor responsiveness was considered to be due to concurrent reduction of central sympathetic vasomotor activity, because sympathetic nerve responses to hypothalamic stimulation were appreciably lessened in tripamide-treated SHR.
(6) The introduction of biological valves or of valves with a lessened risk of embolism is highly desirable in such cases.
(7) In this paper, these and related facts were summarized and some precautions were suggested to lessen the increase of resistant strains in this country.
(8) Recent improvements in surgical techniques and selective embolization have lessened the risks of surgical excision, decreased the blood loss, and diminished the time required for resection.
(9) We have previously shown that in the cat, taurine is an osmoprotective molecule that lessens mortality, neurological morbidity, and brain-cell dehydration during chronic hypernatremic dehydration.
(10) Rats given Sendai virus concurrently with the FCA, or any time after FCA was injected, did not have a lessened severity of the arthritic reaction, as compared with that in control animals.
(11) A decrease in relative risks since diagnosis of the first primary cancer was seen that may partly be attributed to a lessening of the intensity of medical surveillance with time.
(12) Incorporation of porosity into the grafts, which is necessary for tissue ingrowth, is expected to lessen this difference.
(13) The data strongly suggest that conferring the sick role on the mentally ill does not lessen rejection, but may, in some instances, increase social rejection.
(14) In contrast, hydroxyurea treatment was associated with a 1.5-fold to sevenfold increase in F cells and a 2.3- to 27-fold increase in the percentage of Hb F. In the three patients whose response reached a plateau, hydroxyurea treatment was associated with lessened hemolysis, decreased serum bilirubin and lactate dehydrogenase levels, and prolonged 51chromium-labeled RBC survival.
(15) O’Malley also called for: The relationship between federal immigration law enforcement and local law enforcement to be significantly lessened.
(16) Utilization of outpatient surgical centers helps reduce the cost of health care, lessens the disruption of patients' personal lives, and promotes their recovery through early ambulation and a lower incidence of postoperative nosocomial complications.
(17) It also lessened the hypertonus of isolated guinea-pig trachea caused by pilocarpine.
(18) The use of tissue allografts lessens patient morbidity and suffering and in many cases spares limbs and lives.
(19) Unlike acute combinations, chronic imipramine lessened the rate reducing effect of methadone.
(20) The results of a bronchial challenge to Aspergillus species, however, remained positive; these positive results suggest that long-term memory immune mechanisms may play an important role in the pathogenesis of hypersensitivity pneumonitis and lessen the importance of precipitins in establishing a diagnosis.