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, 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

There is enough mitigation in this season for most of the club’s supporters to rationalise the lack of silverware. —James McNicholas, New York Times, 10 May 2025

The study recommends implementing mitigation measures, such as groundwater management and enhanced infrastructure resilience planning to account for varying sinking rates, to prevent worsening infrastructure risks. —Soo Kim, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 May 2025

The program aimed to provide $2 in state funds, up to $175,000, for every $1 spent by condo associations to fund mitigation projects. —Ron Hurtibise, Sun Sentinel, 8 May 2025

Across the globe, communities are using math to advance agriculture, natural disaster mitigation, public transportation, pollution, healthcare, energy and more. —Vicki Abeles, Mercury News, 7 May 2025

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