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

After aerial reconnaissance flights and mitigation work, search-and-rescue members were flown into the site by CHP helicopter. —Michael McGough, Sacbee.com, 22 Feb. 2026

The mitigation and search efforts have included California Highway Patrol air operations, Nevada County sheriff’s search and rescue, Tahoe Nordic search and rescue, the utility company Pacific Gas & Electric, the Sierra Avalanche Center and others. —Evan Bush, NBC news, 21 Feb. 2026

Once these chemicals are spread on fields and seep into soil or groundwater, mitigation is often impossible. —Peter Blair, Baltimore Sun, 21 Feb. 2026

The 2023 bill would have based its wildfire safety standards on the state’s Safer from Wildfires program, which was established in 2021 and offers homeowners moderate discounts for mitigation measures. —Los Angeles Times, 19 Feb. 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