extenuation, mitigation, palliation -- (to act in such a way as to cause an offense to seem less serious)
extenuation, mitigation -- (a partial excuse to mitigate censure; an attempt to represent an offense as less serious than it appears by showing mitigating circumstances)
moderation, mitigation -- (the action of lessening in severity or intensity; "the object being control or moderation of economic depressions")
(Sound)
