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

The models listed by the IIHS all include accident avoidance and mitigation features that can keep drivers and occupants safe. —Charles Singh, USA Today, 27 Mar. 2026

The set of farming practices that drives climate mitigation and restores soil health, biodiversity, and water cycles is upheld as a remedy for farmland degradation and chemical-intensive fiber farming. —Lucianne Tonti, Vogue, 26 Mar. 2026

The analysis found that modern tunneling techniques are safe with pre-construction studies, use of advanced tunnel-boring machines, mitigations and monitoring. —City News Service, Daily News, 26 Mar. 2026

Money went toward sidewalks, congestion mitigation, intersection improvements and Vision Zero, an initiative intending to eliminate traffic fatalities. —Charlotte Observer, 25 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