mitigating

American  

[mit-i-gey-ting] / ˈmɪt ɪˌgeɪ tɪŋ /

Rarely mitigative

adjective

1. lessening the force, intensity, or severity of something, as punishment, danger, pain, anger, etc. (sometimes used in combination).

   The defense made only brief mention of his intellectual disability and the beatings he suffered—mitigating circumstances that could have changed the trial’s outcome.

   As a responsible bank, we take various risk-mitigating measures to protect the interests of our customers.

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noun

1. the act or fact of lessening the force, severity, etc., of something.

   Seven organizations have agreed to contribute microsatellites dedicated to the monitoring and mitigating of man-made and natural disasters.

Other Word Forms

• nonmitigative nonmitigatory
  adjective
• unmitigative
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of mitigating

First recorded in 1565–75; mitigat(e) ( def. ) + -ing ² ( def. ) for the adjective; mitigat(e) ( def. ) + -ing ¹ ( def. ) for the noun

Example Sentences

Forest Service spent $3.1 billion mitigating wildfire conditions in the state over the last few years, California spent $4.3 billion, according to the California Forest Resilience and Wildfire Task Force.

From Los Angeles Times • May 30, 2026

Heal the Bay said it has partnered with the city to form a task force dedicated to determining the cause of the reported pollution and informing future solutions for mitigating the problem.

From Los Angeles Times • May 20, 2026

In 2024, the trust admitted there had been "unacceptable delays in responding to and mitigating a serious risk".

From BBC • May 18, 2026

Saudi Aramco’s quarterly profit rose 25% to $32.5 billion, with its East-West Pipeline mitigating global energy shocks.

From Barron's • May 11, 2026

Further, I want to prevail upon this Court to consider this boy’s plea of guilty as evidence mitigating his punishment.

From "Native Son" by Richard Wright

Related Words

• encouraging
• reassuring
• refreshing
• soothing