mitigate
[ mit-i-geyt ]
/ ˈmɪt ɪˌgeɪt /
Save This Word!
verb (used with object), mit·i·gat·ed, mit·i·gat·ing.
to lessen in force or intensity, as wrath, grief, harshness, or pain; moderate.
to make less severe: to mitigate a punishment.
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.
verb (used without object), mit·i·gat·ed, mit·i·gat·ing.
to become milder; lessen in severity.
QUIZ
CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?
There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?
Question 1 of 7
Which sentence is correct?
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 -ate1
words often confused with mitigate
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 WORDS FROM mitigate
WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH mitigate
militate, mitigate (see confusables note at the current entry)Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use mitigate in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for mitigate
mitigate
/ (ˈmɪtɪˌɡeɪt) /
verb
to make or become less severe or harsh; moderate
Derived forms of mitigate
mitigable (ˈmɪtɪɡəbəl), adjectivemitigation, nounmitigative or mitigatory, adjectivemitigator, nounWord Origin for mitigate
C15: from Latin mītigāre, from mītis mild + agere to make
usage for mitigate
Mitigate is sometimes wrongly used where militate is meant: his behaviour militates (not mitigates) against his chances of promotion
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012