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

“Governments have an essential role to play in helping maintain that lead, and in both assessing and mitigating the national security risks associated with AI models,” Anthropic says.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026

Long-term supply agreements are seen as favorable for memory producers, mitigating downcycle risk.

From Barron's • Apr. 6, 2026

“The market wants to see progress in mitigating the tail risks around this conflict,” he said.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 31, 2026

“Today, we are proactively mitigating risks before they affect the traveling public,” FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said in a statement announcing the policy change.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026

No teacher would ever entertain the thought of mitigating, in any way, the punishment of a truant.

From "Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography" by Mark Mathabane

Related Words

• encouraging
• reassuring
• refreshing
• soothing