Long ago, the ancient Romans had a name for the cloak-like garb that was worn by the Greeks (distinguishing it from their own toga); the name was pallium. In the 15th century, English speakers modified the Late Latin word palliatus, which derives from pallium, to form palliate. Our term, used initially as both an adjective and a verb, never had the literal Latin sense referring to the cloak you wear, but it took on the figurative "cloak" of protection. Specifically, the verb palliate meant (as it still can mean) "to lessen the intensity of a disease." The related adjective palliative describes medical care that focuses on relieving pain or discomfort rather than administering a cure.
treatments that can palliate the painful symptoms of the disease don't try to palliate your constant lying by claiming that everybody lies
Recent Examples on the WebRhys drank heavily to palliate her burdens, and was known for tirades and other skunky behavior.New York Times, 20 June 2022 The friends are teen-agers, both outcasts of a kind, lonely and looking for ways to palliate their solitude.The New Yorker, 2 May 2022 Those would likely be limited to economic benefits to palliate the loss of crops and revenues for farmers. Emilio Morenatti, ajc, 13 Feb. 2022 In an effort to palliate these advocates, legislators offered a work-around, passing legislation to relax the restrictions on bail funds, allowing them to post higher bails and to bail out people facing Class-A felony charges. Nick Pinto, The New Republic, 6 Apr. 2020 And growing evidence of its propensity to palliate pain and nausea fueled the push for medical marijuana. Special To The Oregonian, OregonLive.com, 12 Dec. 2017
Word History
Etymology
Middle English, from Late Latin palliatus, past participle of palliare to cloak, conceal, from Latin pallium cloak