1. serving to make a fault or offense seem less serious or blameworthy; providing partial excuse or justification
Usage: formal; often used in legal or academic contexts

Examples

• The judge considered the defendant's difficult childhood as an extenuatory factor in sentencing.
• His extenuatory circumstances—illness and family hardship—were presented to the disciplinary committee.
• The report included extenuatory evidence that reduced the severity of the allegations.
• She argued that stress was an extenuatory condition for her poor performance.
• The lawyer presented extenuatory details to soften the impact of the charges.
• Financial hardship was cited as an extenuatory reason for the late payment.