1. (n.) A temporary subsidence of a disease or of pain, as distinguished from intermission, in which the disease completely leaves the patient for a time; abatement.
2. (n.) The act of remitting, surrendering, resigning, or giving up.
3. (n.) Discharge from that which is due; relinquishment of a claim, right, or obligation; pardon of transgression; release from forfeiture, penalty, debt, etc.
4. (n.) Diminution of intensity; abatement; relaxation.
5. (n.) The act of sending back.
6. (n.) Act of sending in payment, as money; remittance.
Thesaurus Entries
abatement, abeyance, absolution, acquittal, acquittance, allayment, alleviation, amnesty, assuagement, attrition, blunting, break, caesura, calming, catabasis, cease-fire, clearance, clearing, collapse, compurgation, crash, curtailment, cut, cutting, damping, day off, deadening, deceleration, declension, decline, decline and fall, decrease, decrement, decrescendo, deliverance, demulsion, depletion, depreciation, derogation, destigmatization, destigmatizing, detraction, diminuendo, diminution, dip, discharge, disculpation, dismissal, disparagement, dive, downtrend, downturn, drop, dulcification, dulling, dwindling, easing, ebb, ebbing, exculpation, excuse, exemption, exoneration, extraction, fall, falling-off, forgiveness, grace, hesitation, holiday, hushing, immunity, impairment, indemnity, indulgence, interim, interlude, intermezzo, intermission, intermittence, interruption, interval, lapse, layoff, leniency, lessening, letdown, letup, lightening, loosening, lull, lulling, mitigation, modulation, mollification, pacification, palliation, pardon, pause, plunge, purgation, purging, quietening, quieting, quietus, quittance, recess, redemption, reduction, relaxation, release, remission of sin, reprieve, respite, rest, retraction, retreat, retrenchment, shortening, shrift, shrinkage, slackening, slowdown, slump, softening, soothing, sparing, stand-down, stay, subduement, subsidence, suspension, tempering, tranquilization, truce, truncation, vacation, verdict of acquittal, vindication, wane
