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

For the first phase of the project, the two-story building will be roughly 61 feet tall, with cooling systems on the second floor and sound mitigation installed within the building, Community Development Director Brad Weisenburger said. — Taylor O'Connor, Kansas City Star, 27 Sep. 2026

The key difference between EAs and safetyists is that EAs generally provide funding for AI safety research and risk mitigation, whereas safetyists are researchers and advocates undertaking AI safety work and publicly calling for regulation. — Katie McQue, NPR, 26 Sep. 2026

Collaborate with the finance team on a thorough budgeting process and financial risk assessment, mitigation and monitoring. — Eleonora Liapina, Forbes.com, 25 Sep. 2026

On the subway system, workers had rolled out some flood mitigation tools at Coney Island and Howard Beach stations, and had begun pre-storm work of covering up system vents and clearing out drainage systems. — Evan Simko-Bednarski, New York Daily News, 25 Sep. 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