Adjective / noun
/atenuˈante/
The term "atenuante" refers to something that lessens the severity, seriousness, or impact of a situation, particularly in legal contexts where it can describe factors that may reduce responsibility or the consequences of an action. It is commonly used in both oral and written speech but tends to appear more frequently in formal or legal texts due to its specific implications in law.
The word "atenuante" is regularly encountered in Spanish-speaking legal discussions and academia. It is used less frequently in casual conversations unless in specific contexts discussing legal matters.
La ley considera ciertos factores como atenuantes en casos de responsabilidad penal.
The law considers certain factors as mitigating in cases of criminal liability.
El juez tomó en cuenta la juventud del acusado como un atenuante en su decisión.
The judge took into account the youth of the defendant as a mitigating circumstance in his decision.
The term "atenuante" is not commonly featured in idiomatic expressions; however, it can be involved in contexts where individuals seek to soften or lessen the impact of an issue.
La defensa argumentó que el estrés del acusado era un atenuante en su comportamiento.
The defense argued that the defendant's stress was a mitigating factor in his behavior.
Encontrar atenuantes en una situación difícil puede cambiar el resultado.
Finding mitigating factors in a difficult situation can change the outcome.
The word "atenuante" derives from the Spanish verb "atenuar," which means "to attenuate" or "to lessen." The roots of "atenuar" can be traced back to Latin "attenuare," where "ad-" implies "to" or "toward," and "tenuare" means "to make thin" or "to lessen."