Origin: Latin suffix -ive
Palliative has 4 different meanings across 2 categories:
remedy that alleviates pain without curing
"The new medication provided some palliative relief for his arthritis, easing the swelling but failing to stop the disease from progressing."
Something that palliates, particularly a palliative medicine.
"The doctor prescribed strong painkillers as a palliative measure to ease his suffering in the final stages of the illness."
moderating pain or sorrow by making it easier to bear
"The doctor prescribed a mild sedative as a palliative measure to help his grandmother sleep through her terminal illness without constant suffering."
Serving to palliate; serving to extenuate or mitigate.
"The new policy was designed as a palliative measure to temporarily reduce the strain on the overworked staff without solving the underlying budget issues."