Alleviation

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /əˌliːviˈeɪʃən/

Definitions

1. The process of making something less severe or painful to improve comfort or ease
2. Acts that lessen hardship or discomfort to bring relief
3. Measures taken to diminish suffering or trouble for improved well-being

Etymology: Alleviation is a plain English formation: it is built from the verb "alleviate" plus the suffix "-ion", so its history is really the history of the verb underneath. The verb came into English from the Latin "alleviare", meaning to lighten or raise up, built from "ad-" ("to") and "levis" ("light"). The Latin root that gives us "light" in the sense of not heavy is the same one behind "levity" and "levitate", so a suffering person who has been "lightened" is, in the most literal sense, having a load lifted. The noun ending itself travelled a longer route. The Latin suffix "-ātiō" passed into Old French as "-ation", then into Middle English as "-aciоun", and finally settled into the modern "-ation" form, which English applies to countless verbs. The result is a noun that carries the physical image of weight being removed, now used for relief from pain, hardship or distress.

Synonyms: relief, reduction

Antonyms: aggravation, intensification