Mitigate

Definition

Mitigate is a verb meaning to make something less severe, serious, harmful, or painful; to moderate or alleviate the force or intensity of something adverse.

Parts of Speech

• Verb (primarily transitive)
• Verb (intransitive, rare): to become milder or less severe

Pronunciation

American English

• IPA: /ˈmɪtɪˌɡeɪt/
• Respelling: MIT-ih-gayt

British English

• IPA: /ˈmɪtɪɡeɪt/
• Respelling: MIT-i-gayt

Etymology

Late Middle English, from Latin mitigāre “to soften, make mild, alleviate,” from mitis “mild, gentle” + verbal formative -igāre. The sense of reducing severity is continuous from Classical Latin into modern English.

Derivatives

• mitigation (noun): the act or process of mitigating
• mitigating (adjective/participle): lessening the severity of; as in “mitigating circumstances”
• mitigatory (adjective): serving to mitigate
• mitigative (adjective): having a mitigating effect
• mitigator (noun): a person or thing that mitigates
• unmitigated (adjective): not lessened or moderated; absolute (often in negative collocations, e.g., “an unmitigated disaster”)

Synonyms

• alleviate
• lessen
• ease
• allay
• assuage
• moderate
• temper
• palliate
• relieve
• reduce
• diminish
• abate
• soften

Antonyms

• aggravate
• exacerbate
• intensify
• worsen
• heighten
• amplify

Usage

General: Typically takes a direct object denoting harm, risk, pain, damage, impact, or severity. For example, “These policies aim to mitigate inflationary pressures,” or “Shade can mitigate heat exposure.”

Legal: Common in expressions like “mitigating circumstances” and “duty to mitigate damages.” For example, “The defendant presented evidence of mitigating factors,” or “Plaintiffs must take reasonable steps to mitigate their losses.”

Usage note: In careful and formal English, mitigate does not take the preposition “against.” Use “mitigate the risk” (✅) rather than “mitigate against the risk” (❌). Do not confuse with militate against (“to work against”).

Related Terms

• Mitigation: The act of lessening severity or harm.
• Mitigating circumstances: Factors that lessen the gravity of an offense.
• Mitigant: An agent or measure that mitigates (common in risk management).
• Militate (against): To work or argue against (often confused with mitigate).
• Palliative: Relieving without curing; something that eases symptoms.
• Temper: To moderate or soften the effect of something.

Detailed Definitions

Verb

• To make (something bad) less severe, serious, or painful — to lessen, moderate, or alleviate adverse effects.
  • Example: “Early intervention can mitigate learning loss.”
• To lessen the gravity or culpability of (an offense or fault) — especially in legal and moral contexts.
  • Example: “The court considered the defendant’s age to mitigate the sentence.”
• (Intransitive, rare) To become milder or less intense.
  • Example: “As evening fell, the storm mitigated.”