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

But the military can mitigate the risks simply by virtue of its enormous logistical reach.

From The Daily Beast

Of course, cities can take steps right away to mitigate the damage done by militarizing law enforcement.

From The Daily Beast

The deafening klaxons can leave one feeling helpless, but there are still steps you can take to mitigate the damage.

From The Daily Beast

Yes, you can do a lot to mitigate this by providing mentors, training, college prep, and other services.

From The Daily Beast

There are lots of things, including changing the kind of inner dialog, that can mitigate anxiety.

From The Daily Beast

If she have a tongue that can cure, and likewise mitigate and shew mercy: her husband is not like other men.

From Project Gutenberg

And there being constant danger of excess, the effort ought to be by force of public opinion to mitigate and assuage it.

From Project Gutenberg

No sense of her goodness, her injury and nobility, and the enormous generosity of her forgiveness, sufficed to mitigate that.

From Project Gutenberg

Rendered furious by this insolence, I forbade him my sight; and, without seeking to mitigate my anger, he departed for France.

From Project Gutenberg

It remains the right term and your simplicity doesn't mitigate it.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

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