mitigation

American  

[mit-i-gey-shuhn] / ˌmɪt ɪˈgeɪ ʃən /

noun

1. the act of mitigating, or lessening the force or intensity of something unpleasant, as wrath, pain, grief, or extreme circumstances.

   Social support is the most important factor in the mitigation of stress among adolescents.

2. the act of making a condition or consequence less severe.

   the mitigation of a punishment.

3. the act of alleviating harmful or dangerous conditions or of reducing the harm inflicted by them.

   radon mitigation;

   mitigation of climate change;

   aircraft noise mitigation.

4. the process of becoming milder, gentler, or less severe.

5. a mitigating circumstance, event, or consequence.

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Other Word Forms

• nonmitigation
  noun

Etymology

Origin of mitigation

First recorded in 1350–1400; from Anglo-French, Middle French mitigacion, from Latin mitigātiōn-, stem of mitigātiō, equivalent to mitigāt(us), past participle of mitigāre “to calm, soften, soothe” + -iō -ion ( def. ); see mitigate ( def. )

Explanation

Mitigation is the act of lessening or easing the harshness of a punishment, a fine, or someone's pain. In the legal world, a lawyer might ask a judge for mitigation of a particularly harsh sentence. Mitigation is the noun form of the verb mitigate, which means "to lessen in severity." After a natural disaster, the government might offer mitigation, in the form of aid, to ease people’s suffering. If someone tries to make an offense seem less serious by offering an excuse, that's also mitigation. If you miss your curfew, you might state in mitigation that you came home late because you were helping an old lady cross the street.

Example Sentences

McPhee added that spearfishing represents "a different risk profile than other activities and requires different approaches for mitigation compared to surfing".

From Barron's • May 24, 2026

Companies must pursue rigorous emissions measurement and credible mitigation plans that treat gas waste as lost revenue.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026

The researchers say tropical rivers should be considered a top priority for mitigation efforts aimed at preventing worsening oxygen depletion.

From Science Daily • May 17, 2026

In mitigation, Jamie Adams said John had learning disabilities, with conditions such as epilepsy and autism, and described him as "a very vulnerable and very disadvantaged human being".

From BBC • May 12, 2026

Aviation experts will tell you that it is the success of this war on mitigation as much as anything else that accounts for the extraordinary decline in airline accidents in recent years.

From "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell