# palliative

/ˈpæɫiətɪv/ (US) · /pˈæliətˌɪv/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/palliative
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. medical care for comfort

adjective · CEFR C1 · Technical

describing medical care that focuses on reducing pain and making a patient comfortable rather than curing them.

For teachers: relating to medical treatment designed to alleviate suffering and improve quality of life for patients with serious or terminal illnesses.

- The hospital provides palliative care to help patients manage their pain at home.
- The medical team shifted their focus to palliative measures once it became clear that the aggressive chemotherapy was no longer effective.

Usage: Commonly modifies 'care', 'treatment', or 'medicine'.

### 2. reducing a problem temporarily

adjective · CEFR C2 · Formal · Academic

describing an action that makes a bad situation feel better for a short time without fixing the real cause.

For teachers: serving to mitigate or extenuate the gravity of a situation or problem without providing a fundamental solution.

- The new tax break was just a palliative measure that didn't fix the economy.
- Critics argued that the minor policy adjustment was merely palliative, failing to address the systemic inequality at the heart of the crisis.

### 3. a temporary remedy

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal · Technical

a medicine or an action that gives temporary relief from pain or a problem.

For teachers: a drug, medicine, or measure that relieves symptoms or problems without curing the underlying condition.

- The doctor prescribed a mild palliative to help the patient sleep better.
- While the subsidy acted as a useful palliative for struggling farmers, it was not a long-term strategy for agricultural sustainability.

## Examples

- The patient received palliative care to manage his symptoms at home.
- The hospital's palliative team focuses on improving the quality of life for patients with chronic respiratory diseases.
- Economists argued that the tax cut was merely a palliative measure, providing short-term relief to consumers without addressing the structural issues causing high inflation.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.