0 causing a wrong act to be judged less seriously by giving reasons for it:
1 acting to excuse something bad or causing something bad to be judged less seriously:
There were extenuating circumstances.
Homeowners who fall behind on their mortgages because of extenuating conditions are eligible to refinance.
The bad guys, for all their extenuating qualities, are still bad.
The chairman recognized that there were many extenuating and exceptional circumstances.