remediate
Americanverb
-
to remove or reduce (pollutants, harmful chemicals, etc.).
Water damage restoration experts mop up and dry out homes, remediate mold, decontaminate items, and repair damaged structures.
-
to clean (air, soil, water, etc.) by removing or reducing pollutants, harmful chemicals, etc..
It could cost up to $10 billion to remediate the remaining 6.2 million acres of land and waters damaged by the abandoned mines.
-
to lessen the effect of; ameliorate.
The university's agreement to remediate harm shall be considered an act of compassion and empathy, not an admission of guilt.
Etymology
Origin of remediate
Back formation from remediation ( def. )
Explanation
To remediate is to correct or make right. If you accidentally ran over your neighbor's bike with your car, you could remediate the bad situation by paying for the bike's repair. When you remediate some kind of damage or mistake, you repair it or set it straight. To remediate often means to make up for a lack of something, like when schools remediate students who have struggled in certain classes by giving them extra instruction after school. The origin of remediate goes back to the Latin word remedium, a cure, remedy, or medicine.
Vocabulary lists containing remediate
100 SAT words Beginning with "R"
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The Big Thirst
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Red, White & Royal Blue
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Mold can pose health risks for some groups of people, and is expensive to remediate.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 15, 2026
A better understanding of those mechanisms could eventually help determine whether bacteria can be used effectively in efforts to remediate uranium-contaminated environments.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 9, 2026
The same is true for those trying to remediate unsafe buildings.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
Despite state officials and the courts directing it to pay out to remediate toxic contamination, the insurer is still rejecting many claims.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 24, 2025
Cordelia's agonised invocation and summons to the unpublished forces of nature, to be aidant and remediate to the good man's distress, is continually echoed by the poet, but with a broader application.
From The Philosophy of the Plays of Shakspere Unfolded by Delia Bacon
It added, “The rush to complete the project led to hasty and botched work that was not remediated before the project was finished and the fencing removed.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
According to the latest figures, there are 192 high-rise blocks in London in the process of being remediated at the moment - more than the 149 in the rest of the country combined.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
The complex’s superintendent, Oscar Chang, told the local publication that the building was being remediated while waiting for a permit for work on its roof.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 13, 2026
"It's an opportunity now for that land to be remediated for nature and the community."
From BBC ● Jun. 9, 2026
The student with severe prior knowledge deficits can usually be rapidly remediated by learning basic thinking skills first: for instance, the basic memorization techniques, note taking, outlining, and free association recall techniques.
From Sequential Problem Solving A Student Handbook with Checklists for Successful Critical Thinking by Fredric Lozo
“Preventing future Mythos level attacks and remediating identified vulnerabilities requires the participation of the broader security industry, domain expertise, and deterministic detection, which Anthropic can’t deliver,” the analysts say.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 8, 2026
US officials added that any future aid would be "dependent on the Somali Federal Government taking accountability" and remediating the matter.
From Barron's ● Jan. 8, 2026
Like others, Aquagga sees a big opportunity over the next few years for both destroying the foam and remediating the environmental damage associated with its use.
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2025
“Approving this contract is an important step in remediating the permissive public safety environment our city has endured for years,” Councilmember Bob Kettle, the Public Safety Committee Chair, said in a statement.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 29, 2024
The exhibition will display documentation from the process, García’s mosaics made of soil and sculptures made of remediating materials.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 9, 2023
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
