Alleviates

Alleviates is the third-person singular present form of the verb alleviate. It means to make something less severe or burdensome, especially pain, suffering, or a problem. It is a transitive verb that requires a direct object.

The word comes from Latin alleviare, from ad- "to" and levis "light" or "lighten." In English, it dates from the late 15th or early 16th century. The noun alleviation derives from the same root.

Commonly used with physical or emotional states: "The medication alleviates pain," "The therapy alleviates anxiety," "Policy changes alleviate poverty and hardship." It can also be used with burdens or symptoms, or with congestion, fatigue, or risk, in medical, social, and policy contexts.

Alleviate is similar to relieve, ease, mitigate, and palliate, but there are nuances: alleviate often emphasizes reduction of severity, not complete elimination; palliate focuses on symptom relief without addressing underlying causes; mitigate reduces intensity or harm; relieve can imply more general or temporary respite. The noun form is alleviation.

Common caveats: In medical contexts, "alleviate" implies treatment that reduces symptoms without necessarily curing the underlying condition. The phrase "alleviates" may appear in formal or policy language as well as clinical writing.