The act of lightening, allaying, or extenuating; a lessening or mitigation.

That which lessens, mitigates or makes more tolerable; as, the sympathy of a friend is an alleviation of grief. I have not wanted such alleviations of life, as friendship could supply. Dr. Johnson’s letter to Mr. Hector. This use of alleviation is hardly legitimate without supplying some word expressing evil, as trouble, sorrow. Without such alleviations of the cares of troubles of life.