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

Like the previous study, it used a technique to hide the result from the scientists until the end, mitigating any unconscious bias.

From Science Daily

University of Delaware researchers have developed a method for mitigating the decontamination that tires release into the environment at the end of their lifespan.

From Science Daily

This new insight into the flow of fats through the body points to new therapeutic targets for mitigating diseases like ASCVD, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, obesity, diabetes, peripheral neuropathy, and neurodegeneration.

From Science Daily

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

Related Words

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