verb
Uncommon
mitigate
MIHT-ih-gayt
Mitigate (verb) means to make something less severe, harmful, or serious. Example: “The new policy is designed to mitigate the effects of climate change.”
verb
1
To make something less severe, harmful, or serious.
"Then I discovered the brilliance of the landscape around was mitigated by blue spectacles."
— , Herbert George Wells (1900)
"The new policy is designed to mitigate the effects of climate change."
"Wearing a seatbelt helps mitigate injury in a crash."
"The plague had not been kind to him, yet had left him this small furry thing to mitigate his sorrow; and when one is very young, one can find great relief in the lively antics of a black kitten."
— H. P. Lovecraft, The Cats of Ulthar (1920)
"But then crashworthiness is not about preventing accidents, but about mitigating their consequences."
— Greg Morse, A need for speed and the drive for 125 (2021)
How to use mitigate
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo lessen how bad something is — to soften its impact rather than eliminate it entirely.
Common mistake
Don't confuse with "militate," which means to have a strong influence against something — "militate against" not "mitigate against."
Easily confused with
militate
Common pairings
mitigate risk
mitigate the damage
mitigating circumstances
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Word forms
- Third person singular
- mitigates
- Past tense
- mitigated
- Comparative
- more mitigate
- Superlative
- most mitigate
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The new policy is designed to _____ the effects of climate change.
Etymology
From Latin mitigare, "to soften or make gentle," from mitis, "mild."
Synonyms
View more →Antonyms
Related words
Rhymes for mitigate
See all rhymes for mitigate →Frequently asked questions
What does “mitigate” mean?
The word “mitigate” means to make something less severe, harmful, or serious. In plain terms, to lessen how bad something is — to soften its impact rather than eliminate it entirely.
How do you pronounce “mitigate”?
“Mitigate” is pronounced MIHT-ih-gayt (/ˈmɪt.ɪ.ɡeɪt/ in IPA).
How do you use “mitigate” in a sentence?
Here is “mitigate” used in a sentence: “The new policy is designed to mitigate the effects of climate change.”
What is the opposite of “mitigate”?
The opposite of “mitigate” — its antonyms — are aggrandize, aggravate, exacerbate, incite and increase.
What part of speech is “mitigate”?
“Mitigate” is a verb.
Where does the word “mitigate” come from?
The word “mitigate” comes from Latin. From Latin mitigare, "to soften or make gentle," from mitis, "mild.".
Is “mitigate” a common word?
“Mitigate” is an uncommon word in modern English.
What is the difference between mitigate and prevent?
Mitigate means to make something less severe, harmful, or serious, while prevent means to stop something from happening at all. Mitigating a risk reduces its impact, but the underlying problem may still occur in a lesser form.
Is mitigate a formal word?
Yes, mitigate is commonly used in formal, legal, scientific, and business writing, such as in phrases like 'mitigating circumstances' or 'mitigate climate change.' It is less common in casual conversation, where 'reduce' or 'ease' are more typical.
Can mitigate be used without an object?
Mitigate is typically used transitively, taking a direct object such as risk, damage, or effects, as in 'mitigate the damage.' It is rarely used intransitively in standard English.
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