mitigation

noun

mit·​i·​ga·​tion ˌmi-tə-ˈgā-shən 

plural mitigations

: the act of mitigating something or the state of being mitigated : the process or result of making something less severe, dangerous, painful, harsh, extensive, or damaging

mitigation of suffering

mitigation of punishment

There was, in sum, a period during the Cold War … when a mitigation of the Cold War, including a renegotiation of some of its most troublesome tensions, was possible or even probable.

—John Lukacs

Examples of mitigation in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

That same month, AQMD ordered the company to craft a mitigation plan after residents submitted 900 complaints within a week. — Matthew Rodriguez, CBS News, 14 Aug. 2026

The searing heat wave across Europe has driven the union to call for museums to close when temperatures reach 86 degrees Fahrenheit and to institute heat mitigation measures for back-of-house staff. — Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 13 Aug. 2026

Outline measures to reduce impacts on neighboring property owners and communities, including noise mitigation, light controls, setbacks, traffic improvements, emergency response coordination and other community protection measures. — Mateo Rosiles, USA Today, 11 Aug. 2026

Ecological mitigation Alongside the fishway, a breeding program at the plant has released nearly 2 million fish into the wild to stabilize populations, which officials report remain steady. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 10 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for mitigation

• abdication
• aberration
• abjuration
• abnegation
• abrogation
• acceptation
• acclamation
• acclimation
• accusation
• activation
• actuation
• acylation

Medical Definition

mitigation

noun

mit·​i·​ga·​tion ˌmit-ə-ˈgā-shən 

1

: the act of mitigating or state of being mitigated

the cure, prevention, or mitigation of disease

—Encyclopedia Americana

2

: something that mitigates

a large number of drugs and mitigations … at the clinic

—The Journal of the American Medical Association