aggravation
/ˌæɡrəvˈeɪʃən/ · ag·gra·va·tion
noun
- The act of aggravating, or making worse; used of evils, natural or moral; the act of increasing in severity or heinousness The aggravation of the disease was caused by the patient's failure to follow the prescribed treatment.
- Something additional to a crime or wrong and enhancing its guilt or injurious consequences The judge considered the defendant's history of similar offenses as an aggravation of the current crime.
- Exaggerated representation The news report was criticized for its aggravation of the situation, which was not as dire as described.
- An extrinsic circumstance or accident which increases the guilt of a crime or the misery of a calamity The presence of minors at the scene was considered an aggravation of the crime, leading to a harsher sentence.
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Did you know? The word 'aggravation' has been used in various contexts, including law, medicine, and everyday conversation, to describe the process of making something worse or more severe. Interestingly, the word has been in use since the 15th century, with its earliest recorded usage in a legal context to describe the act of increasing the severity of a crime or punishment.