mitigate

American  

[mit-i-geyt] / ˈmɪt ɪˌgeɪt /

verb (used with object)

mitigates, present (3rd person singular) mitigated, past participle, past mitigating present participle

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.

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verb (used without object)

mitigates, present (3rd person singular) mitigated, past participle, past mitigating present participle

1. to become milder; lessen in severity.

mitigate British  

/ ˈmɪtɪɡəbəl, ˈmɪtɪˌɡeɪt /

verb

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

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Usage

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

Commonly Confused

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.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• mitigator
  noun
• mitigation
  noun
• mitigable
  adjective
• unmitigable
  adjective
• overmitigate
  verb
• mitigative
  adjective

Conjugated Forms

Present

• have mitigated
  perfect
• has mitigated
  perfect 3rd person singular
• mitigates
  singular 3rd person
• mitigating
  participle
• am mitigating
  progressive 1st person singular
• is mitigating
  progressive 3rd person singular
• are mitigating
  progressive
• have been mitigating
  perfect progressive
• has been mitigating
  perfect progressive 3rd person singular

Past

• had mitigated
  perfect
• mitigated
  simple
• had been mitigating
  perfect progressive
• mitigated
  participle
• were mitigating
  progressive plural
• was mitigating
  progressive singular

Future

• will mitigate
  simple
• will have mitigated
  perfect
• will be mitigating
  progressive
• will have been mitigating
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of mitigate

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; see -ate ¹

Explanation

Choose the verb mitigate when something lessens the unpleasantness of a situation. You can mitigate your parents' anger by telling them you were late to dinner because you were helping your elderly neighbor. The somewhat formal verb mitigate comes from the Latin roots mītis, "soft," and agere, "to do/act," which add up to "to soften." It is often used with words that indicate an outcome or something harmful. When you buy car insurance, you are trying to mitigate the risks involved with driving. Sunscreen is used to mitigate the effects of the sun on your skin.

Example Sentences

"This may allow for the development of novel strategies that target MHC class I and CD4+ T cells to leverage the beneficial side of immunity or mitigate unwanted immune responses."

From Science Daily • Jun. 4, 2026

The program, known as Significant Public Benefit parole, allows non-citizens to testify before a grand jury to mitigate consequences of actual or pending charges against them or others.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 3, 2026

But it is not expected that today's documents will include any record of any measures taken to mitigate any security concerns.

From BBC • Jun. 1, 2026

Many countries are net importers and struggling to mitigate the impact of higher prices and shortages of critical inputs with subsidies and stimulus that is straining, in some instances, shaky finances.

From Barron's • May 30, 2026

To mitigate her dishonesty, she deflected all honor from herself, filling her letters widi praise for Zoe.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides

Related Words

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