attenuates
|at-ten-u-ates|
🇺🇸
/əˈtɛn.ju.eɪts/
🇬🇧
/əˈten.ju.eɪts/
(attenuate)
reduce effect
Etymology
'attenuate' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'attenuare', where 'ad-' meant 'to/toward' and 'tenuare' meant 'make thin' (from 'tenuis' meaning 'thin').
'attenuate' passed from Latin 'attenuare' into Late Latin and was adopted into English (via scholarly/technical usage) as 'attenuate' in the 17th century, preserving the core components 'ad-' + 'tenuare'.
Initially it meant 'to make thin' (literally), but over time the sense broadened to 'make weaker or reduce intensity', which is the common modern meaning.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Verb 1
to make something less strong, intense, or severe; to reduce the force, effect, or value of.
The new insulation attenuates the noise from the highway, making the apartment much quieter.
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Verb 2
to reduce in amplitude, thickness, or density; to make thinner or less concentrated (often used for physical phenomena such as sound, light, or signals).
A low-pass filter attenuates high-frequency components in the signal.
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Verb 3
in biology or medicine, to reduce the virulence or pathogenicity of an organism or agent (e.g., to weaken a virus so it produces a milder effect).
The laboratory process attenuates the virus for use in the vaccine.
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Last updated: 2025/11/15 15:50