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; 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

Mitigate that risk with a long layover, which doesn’t have to be that bad.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 2, 2023

Mitigate those risks and the sonic rewards are sublime.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 18, 2018

The agency's efforts are poorly coordinated, ill-managed and under-staffed, according to a 32-page report called NASA's Efforts to Identify Near-Earth Objects and Mitigate Hazards by Nasa inspector general Paul Martin.

From The Guardian • Sep. 15, 2014

He said the question had generated a new research idea for him: “How Prosocial Behavior Can Mitigate O.C.D. Tendencies.”

From New York Times • Mar. 27, 2013

Mitigate the hearts of those that persecute us.”

From John Knox and the Reformation by Lang, Andrew

Related Words

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