mitigating

Rarely mit·i·ga·tive

[mit-i-gey-ting]

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.

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of mitigating¹

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

Engineers were “engaged and are actively working on both mitigating the issue, and fully understanding the root cause,” the company added.

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There was also an acceptance of mitigating circumstances and fine lines, underlining the hope it would work.

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Mark Cotter, mitigating, said a lack of help for Button created a "terrifying crisis for her".

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The proposed deal was cleared by Spain’s antitrust regulator with some mitigating measures and got the green light from the European Central Bank.

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However, he concluded in his written decision that “these mitigating factors are outweighed by negative factors that bear on her risk for future dangerousness.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• encouraging www.thesaurus.com
• reassuring 
• refreshing 
• soothing