log insign upextenuating circumstance
noun
- A condition or situation that serves to lessen the severity, seriousness, or culpability of an action or event, often providing a justification or partial excuse for certain behavior.
The judge decided to reduce the sentence because the defendant provided evidence of extenuating circumstances that impacted their actions during the crime.
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The phrase ‘extenuating circumstance‘ originates from the Latin word ‘extenuare,‘ meaning ‘to make thin‘ or ‘to lessen.‘ This term was incorporated into Middle English as ‘extenuate,‘ which carries the sense of diminishing the severity or seriousness of something. The word ‘circumstance‘ comes from the Latin ‘circumstantia,‘ meaning ‘surrounding,‘ derived from ‘circum,‘ meaning ‘around,‘ and ‘stare,‘ meaning ‘to stand.‘ Together, the term ‘extenuating circumstance‘ refers to a condition or situation that lessens the degree of blame or culpability in a given context.
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