Building Your Power of Expression

Palliative, adj., n.

Pronunciation: ˈpalēˌādiv

Meaning: Although this word doubles as both a noun and an adjective, I prefer the latter. Although in the field of medicine, the word refers to the relieving of symptoms without dealing with the root cause of the condition, I tend to employ this word more broadly as an action word, intended to alleviate any problem (not just medical problems) without addressing the underlying cause.

Usage:

• “Not to worry, as short-term palliative measures have been taken.”
• “After the system outage, the IT team implemented palliative fixes to stabilize operations until a permanent solution could be deployed.”
• “Lawmakers criticized the proposal as a palliative policy response, arguing it soothed public concern without solving the structural problem.”