mitigate

[ mit-i-geyt ]

verb (used with object)

, mit·i·gat·ed, mit·i·gat·ing.

1. to lessen in force or intensity, as wrath, grief, harshness, or pain; moderate.
2. to make less severe:

   to mitigate a punishment.

3. to reduce the risk or impact of harmful conditions or events:

   To mitigate flood damage, new building regulations are being developed.

4. to make (a person, one's state of mind, disposition, etc.) milder or more gentle; mollify; appease.
5. Environmental Science. to restore or recreate (a habitat) in order to make up for losses due to development or agriculture:

   No one has tried anything on this scale before to mitigate the grasslands bird habitat.

verb (used without object)

, mit·i·gat·ed, mit·i·gat·ing.

1. to become milder; lessen in severity.

mitigate

/ ˈmɪtɪɡəbəl; ˈmɪtɪˌɡeɪt /

verb

1. to make or become less severe or harsh; moderate

Usage

Mitigate is sometimes wrongly used where militate is meant: his behaviour militates (not mitigates ) against his chances of promotion

Confusables Note

Mitigate, whose central meaning is “to lessen” or “to make less severe,” is sometimes confused with militate, which means “to have effect or influence; weigh on.” This mix-up often occurs in the use of the phrase mitigate against, as follows: This criticism in no way mitigates (read militates ) against your going ahead with your research. Although this use of mitigate occasionally occurs in edited writing, it is rare and is widely regarded as an error.

Derived Forms

• ˌmitiˈgation, noun
• ˈmitiˌgative, adjective
• ˈmitiˌgator, noun
• mitigable, adjective

Other Words From

• mit·i·ga·ble [mit, -i-g, uh, -b, uh, l], adjective
• mit·i·ga·tion [mit-i-, gey, -sh, uh, n], noun
• mit·i·ga·tor noun
• o·ver·mit·i·gate verb overmitigated overmitigating
• un·mit·i·ga·ble adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of mitigate¹

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English mitigaten, from Latin mītigātus (past participle of mītigāre “to calm, soften, soothe”), equivalent to mīt(is) “mild, soft, gentle” + -ig- (combining form of agere “to do, cause to do, make”) + -ātus verb suffix; -ate ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of mitigate¹

C15: from Latin mītigāre, from mītis mild + agere to make

Example Sentences

Martinak suggests shoring up emergency funds and diversifying investments across different asset classes to mitigate risk.

From Salon

"And by recognizing the cognitive limits of these models, health care providers can maximize AI utility while mitigating risks, ensuring that these tools remain a reliable support in critical health care settings."

From Science Daily

However, the Early Years Alliance said 95% of childcare providers were set to increase fees if the government did not mitigate the combined impact of NI increases and the rise in the minimum wage.

From BBC

“All we can do is mitigate and get our people prepared to face such events.”

From BBC

California lawmakers have been trying to mitigate technology’s potential risks but also face backlash from powerful tech executives wary of efforts they see as possibly restricting users’ online speech.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• allay
• alleviate
• assuage
• blunt
• dull
• ease
• lessen
• mollify
• reduce
• relieve
• remediate
• soften
• soothe
• temper
• weaken