alleviate

What does “alleviate” mean?

verb.to make (suffering, deficiency, or a problem) less severe.

SAT Usage

Alleviate often appears in contexts related to health, social issues, or emotional well-being, emphasizing efforts to reduce suffering or improve conditions. It implies a proactive approach to problem-solving, distinguishing it from similar words like "mitigate," which suggests a less direct or impactful reduction of severity.

Common Confusions

Alleviate implies a proactive effort to make suffering less severe, while mitigate usually suggests a more passive or indirect reduction of severity.

Example Sentences

• The medicine helped alleviate her chronic back pain.

• The new policies were designed to alleviate the financial burden on struggling families, providing them with much-needed support during tough times.

Word Parts: How to Remember “alleviate”

Break “alleviate” into its parts: ad- (to, toward). Knowing roots like these helps you decode unfamiliar SAT vocabulary.

• Prefix: ad- to, toward (Latin)

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