Extenuation [noun]

The other acknowledged the fact with some degree of reluctance, and explained, with many "buts" as an excuse in extenuation.

In such case the defendant was empowered to plead the facts in extenuation, and also to pay money into court by way of amends.

The object of this examination grinned a faint grin of extenuation.

But this does injustice to these marauders of the sea, who put in a plea of extenuation.

Their delinquency, it is true, does not cancel hers, but it offers some slight degree of extenuation.

He hesitated a moment as though seeking for words of explanation and extenuation that were not in his regular vocabulary.

I think this is all the justice that can be expected from her; and how poor an extenuation would this make of his guilt!

You find yourself offering, in extenuation of his sins, confession of your own offenses.

He could hear Zaidees gentle little voice repeating her mothers perfunctory extenuation: Poor daddys nervous; come away, Redge!

There is one thing to be said in extenuation, that a steeple is never still, but always rocking and trembling.