pal·li·a·tive
ˈpa-lē-ˌā-tiv 
ˈpal-yə-
ˈpal-yə-
: serving to palliate
palliative surgery
palliative care
palliative drugs
palliatively
adverb
Examples of palliative in a Sentence
Noun
The disease has no cure, but a number of palliatives exist.
Travel is like a palliative against depression for him.
symbolic palliatives for inner-city troubles
Recent Examples on the Web
Vanessa Etienne, People.com, 28 Feb. 2025
In Samantha’s professional opinion, the most humane option is to switch her to palliative care, rather than keep subjecting her to painful and almost certainly futile treatments.
—Judy Berman, TIME, 27 Feb. 2025
Mark A. Cohen, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2025
One of the advantages of early detection is that the goal of treatment becomes a cure as opposed to palliative.
—Cara Lynn Shultz, People.com, 18 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for palliative
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Adjective
Sexton was later transferred to Noah's Arc Cancer Centre at the University Hospital of Wales, which provides palliative care for children with life-threatening illnesses.
—Vanessa Etienne, People.com, 28 Feb. 2025
In Samantha’s professional opinion, the most humane option is to switch her to palliative care, rather than keep subjecting her to painful and almost certainly futile treatments.
—Judy Berman, TIME, 27 Feb. 2025
Noun
Both are palliatives but not cures to the challenge of creating a unified legal function capable of serving the needs of digital/AI-era business.
—Mark A. Cohen, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2025
One of the advantages of early detection is that the goal of treatment becomes a cure as opposed to palliative.
—Cara Lynn Shultz, People.com, 18 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for palliative
Articles Related to palliative
Cite this Entry
“Palliative.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/palliative. Accessed 10 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
palliative
1 of 2 adjective
pal·li·a·tive
ˈpal-ē-ˌāt-iv
ˈpal-yət-
ˈpal-yət-
: serving to palliate
palliative
2 of 2 noun
: something that palliates
Medical Definition
palliative
1 of 2 adjective
pal·lia·tive
ˈpal-ē-ˌāt-iv
ˈpal-yət-
ˈpal-yət-
: reducing the severity of a disease or condition without curing it : providing palliative care
palliative treatment
Although valve replacement is an important advance in the treatment of patients with valve disease, it is a palliative rather than a curative procedure.—Robert A. O'Rourke, The Journal of the American Medical Association
Robert A. O'Rourke, The Journal of the American Medical Association
palliatively
adverb
palliative
2 of 2 noun
: something that reduces the severity of a disease or condition without curing it
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share