palliative
Upper-Intermediate (B2)
IPA: /ˈpæl.i.eɪ.tɪv/
KK: /ˈpæl.i.eɪ.tɪv/
adjective
Definition
Providing relief from pain or discomfort caused by a disease, without curing the disease itself.
Example
The doctor recommended palliative care to help manage the patient's pain.
Conversation
I heard they have some palliative care options at the clinic now.
Really? That sounds helpful for those who need it.
Yeah, it's meant to ease the pain without trying to cure it.
That makes sense; sometimes comfort is more important than anything else.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms
soothing
relieving
alleviating
Antonyms
aggravating
intensifying
exacerbating
noun
Definition
A type of treatment or medicine that helps to relieve symptoms without curing the underlying disease.
Example
The doctor prescribed a palliative to help manage the patient's pain.
Conversation
I heard they started using a new palliative treatment for pain management.
Oh really? That sounds promising!
Yeah, it could really help those who are suffering.
Root Explanation
Palliative → It is formed from "palliare" (meaning to cloak or cover) and the suffix "-ive" (meaning having the nature of). The word "palliative" refers to something that cloaks or alleviates symptoms without curing the underlying condition.
Memory Tip
Think of something that 'cloaks' or 'covers' discomfort — that's why palliative care aims to relieve symptoms without necessarily curing the illness.
Visually Confused Words
palative
allative
alleviative
plicative
alliterative
ampliative