extenuation vs excuse

excuse vs extenuation

extenuation and excuse both are nouns.

extenuation is not a verb while excuse is a verb.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
extenuation	Yes	No	No	No
excuse	Yes	No	Yes	No

As nouns, excuse is a hypernym of extenuation; that is, excuse is a word with a broader meaning than extenuation:

extenuation: a partial excuse to mitigate censure; an attempt to represent an offense as less serious than it appears by showing mitigating circumstances
excuse: a defense of some offensive behavior or some failure to keep a promise etc.

Other hypernyms of extenuation include alibi, exculpation, self-justification.

extenuation (noun)	excuse (noun)
to act in such a way as to cause an offense to seem less serious	a poor example
a partial excuse to mitigate censure; an attempt to represent an offense as less serious than it appears by showing mitigating circumstances	a defense of some offensive behavior or some failure to keep a promise etc.
	a note explaining an absence

extenuation (verb)	excuse (verb)
	accept an excuse for
	defend, explain, clear away, or make excuses for by reasoning
	excuse, overlook, or make allowances for; be lenient with
	serve as a reason or cause or justification of
	grant exemption or release to
	ask for permission to be released from an engagement

Difference between extenuation and excuse

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