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

Brewers to provide additional traffic management resources The Brewers are bolstering their post-game traffic mitigation efforts by funding three additional Milwaukee County Sheriff squads through the 2026 season. —Francesca Pica, jsonline.com, 13 Mar. 2026

Clean-up and mitigation efforts cost millions, with plans in place in Miami-Dade and Broward counties to mix or rake the seaweed along the coast to keep beaches clean. —Bri Buckley, Miami Herald, 12 Mar. 2026

The civilian mitigation teams work with military commanders on target planning, and making sure that targets are actually military sites. —Tom Bowman, NPR, 11 Mar. 2026

The cycle of announce, backlash, and mitigation is not governance. —Ed Gaskin, Boston Herald, 11 Mar. 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