CARD 3 OF 3
Which word fits this meaning?
Making a fault or difficult situation seem less serious or blameworthy.
adjective
Reveal word and examples
extenuating
The panel considered the extenuating circumstances before deciding.
A design contest discovered that one entrant had submitted another person's work under her own name. The panel considered her culpable because she had knowingly claimed authorship. A separate entrant had missed the deadline during a documented failure of the submission system. Those extenuating circumstances deserved a different review.