mitigation

noun

mit·​i·​ga·​tion ˌmi-tə-ˈgā-shən How to pronounce mitigation (audio)
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, 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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
According to LinkedIn’s 2025 Skills on The Rise Report, adaptability ranks among the top three most in-demand skills for hiring managers, following AI literacy and conflict mitigation. Amanda Miller Littlejohn, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025 While fire mitigation strategies have been extensively discussed elsewhere, fire recovery processes in the specific context of climbing and safety have not. Hannah Provost, Outside Online, 26 Apr. 2025 Many on the list, which was shared with NPR, were for environmental justice projects, including one grant that supported initiatives such as flood mitigation in southwest Virginia, a deep red part of the commonwealth where communities have been shaped by the coal industry's booms and busts. Michael Copley, NPR, 23 Apr. 2025 That estimate doesn’t include RTX’s own tariff mitigation measures, Mitchill said. Leslie Josephs, CNBC, 22 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for mitigation

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of mitigation was in the 14th century

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Cite this Entry

“Mitigation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mitigation. Accessed 2 May. 2025.

Medical Definition

mitigation

noun
mit·​i·​ga·​tion ˌmit-ə-ˈgā-shən How to pronounce mitigation (audio)
1
: the act of mitigating or state of being mitigated
the cure, prevention, or mitigation of diseaseEncyclopedia Americana
2
: something that mitigates
a large number of drugs and mitigations … at the clinicThe Journal of the American Medical Association

More from Merriam-Webster on mitigation

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