mitigate

American  

[mit-i-geyt] / ˈmɪt ɪˌgeɪt /

verb (used with object)

mitigated, mitigating

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)

mitigated, mitigating

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

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

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; -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

Caine answered that the military was “always thinking about those considerations” and had processes in place to mitigate the risks.

From Salon • Apr. 11, 2026

They also noted the need to better understand this phenomenon to mitigate risks to future astronauts who might be exposed on the lunar surface.

From Barron's • Apr. 10, 2026

Employers that provide defined-benefit plans use private-market assets to maximize risk-adjusted returns—to increase return or to mitigate risk.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 2, 2026

“Everyone is trying their best to mitigate the impact domestically and hoping that resolution can come soon — somehow, someway,” said Goh.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 2, 2026

A few congressmen and witnesses tried to mitigate the scapegoating of the Osage.

From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann

Related Words

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