palliative

1 of 2

adjective

pal·​li·​a·​tive ˈpa-lē-ˌā-tiv  ˈpal-yə- 

: serving to palliate

palliative surgery

palliative care

palliative drugs

palliatively adverb

palliative

2 of 2

noun

: something that palliates

Examples of palliative in a Sentence

Noun

The disease has no cure, but a number of palliatives exist.

Travel is like a palliative against depression for him.

symbolic palliatives for inner-city troubles

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Another one of my group members did palliative care, and I had not really been exposed to palliative care or hospice before that. —Kate Vitasek, Forbes, 17 Oct. 2024

Campaign groups believe that the UK government's focus should be on improving access to proper palliative care to minimise that pressure. —Harriet Marsden, theweek, 16 Oct. 2024

Noun

Paper palliatives will not address the world’s present emergencies. —Philip Zelikow, Foreign Affairs, 12 Dec. 2023

This shift to at-home care should benefit UnitedHealth Group, which owns primary, hospice, palliative, and at-home care providers and enablers including Optum, LHC Group, Landmark, Summit Home Care, and NaviHealth. —Will Daniel, Fortune, 27 Mar. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1656, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

palliative

1 of 2 adjective

pal·​li·​a·​tive ˈpal-ē-ˌāt-iv  ˈpal-yət- 

: serving to palliate

palliative

2 of 2 noun

: something that palliates

Medical Definition

palliative

1 of 2 adjective

pal·​lia·​tive ˈpal-ē-ˌāt-iv  ˈpal-yət- 

: reducing the severity of a disease or condition without curing it : providing palliative care

palliative treatment

Although valve replacement is an important advance in the treatment of patients with valve disease, it is a palliative rather than a curative procedure.

—Robert A. O'Rourke, The Journal of the American Medical Association

palliatively adverb

palliative

2 of 2 noun

: something that reduces the severity of a disease or condition without curing it