In English vocabulary, which of the following words best expresses the meaning of "Palliate" (to make something less severe or serious)?

Introduction / Context:
Palliate is a verb used in medical, legal, and general English contexts. It means to relieve or lessen the severity of something without necessarily curing it completely. This question asks you to pick the word that is closest in meaning to palliate from the given list.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The word to be explained is Palliate.
• Option A: Accuse.
• Option B: Relieve.
• Option C: Condemn.
• Option D: Exacerbate.
• We assume the common meaning of palliate: to make something less severe, painful, or harsh.

Concept / Approach:
To palliate an illness, pain, or a difficult situation is to ease it, soothe it, or make it more bearable, even though the root cause might remain. Relieve matches this sense very well, as it literally means to reduce or ease pain, suffering, or difficulty. Accuse means to charge someone with a wrongdoing, condemn means to strongly disapprove or sentence, and exacerbate means to make a problem worse, which is the opposite of palliate.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Fix the meaning: Palliate means to lessen the severity of pain, disease, guilt, or a problem.Step 2: Compare this with relieve, which means to reduce or remove pain, distress, or difficulty.Step 3: Recognise that palliate and relieve share the idea of making something less severe or intense.Step 4: Examine accuse; it has nothing to do with lessening pain or severity, and instead involves blaming someone.Step 5: Examine condemn and exacerbate; condemn is to criticise or punish, and exacerbate is to make a problem or feeling worse, the opposite of what palliate does. Therefore, relieve is the correct synonym.

Verification / Alternative check:
Consider medical usage: Palliative care aims to palliate symptoms, that is, to relieve pain and discomfort in serious disease. We do not say accuse, condemn, or exacerbate symptoms; we say relieve symptoms. Similarly, in a moral or legal context, someone might try to palliate their guilt by giving excuses, meaning they try to soften the severity of their wrongdoing. The word relieve naturally fits into this family of meanings.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Accuse and condemn both relate to blaming and punishing, which is unrelated to making something less severe. Exacerbate means to worsen a problem or intensify negative feelings, which is directly opposite to the idea of easing or softening. These are distractor options designed to test whether you really know the meaning of palliate.

Common Pitfalls:
Some candidates may confuse palliate with words that sound somewhat similar, like palliative versus punitive, or confuse the idea of reducing severity with forgiving or excusing. Remember that palliate does not necessarily remove the cause; it just makes the effects less harsh. Linking palliate with palliative care and symptom relief is a helpful memory trick.

Final Answer:
The word that best expresses the meaning of Palliate is Relieve, so option B is correct.