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verb mit·i·gate \ˈmi-tə-ˌgāt\

Simple Definition of mitigate


Source: Merriam-Webster's Learner's Dictionary

Full Definition of mitigate



  1. transitive verb



play \ˌmi-tə-ˈgā-shən\ noun


play \ˈmi-tə-ˌgā-tiv\ adjective


play \-ˌgā-tər\ noun



Usage Discussion of mitigate


Examples of mitigate in a sentence





  5. medicines used to mitigate a patient's suffering

Did You Know?

Would it be correct to say, "His boyish appearance mitigated against his getting an early promotion"? Most usage commentators would say "no." They feel such examples demonstrate a long-standing confusion between mitigate and the look-alike militate. Those two words are not closely related etymologically (mitigate descends from the Latin verb mitigare, _ meaning "to soften," whereas _militate traces to militare, another Latin verb that means "to engage in warfare"), nor are they particularly close in meaning (militate means "to have weight or effect"). The confusion between the two has existed for long enough that one commentator thinks "mitigate against" should be accepted as an idiomatic alternative to militate, but if you want to avoid criticism, you should keep mitigate and militate distinct.

Origin and Etymology of mitigate


First Known Use: 15th century

Synonym Discussion of mitigate


Medical Dictionary


transitive verb mit·i·gate \ˈmit-ə-ˌgāt\

Medical Definition of mitigate




  1. :  to make less severe or painful

Law Dictionary


verb mit·i·gate \ˈmi-tə-ˌgāt\

Legal Definition of mitigate



  1. transitive verb
  2. :  to lessen or minimize the severity of <what actions the State took to mitigate the hazardous conditions — Estate of Arrowwood v. State, 894 P.2d 642 (1995)> <factors that mitigate the crime> — see also mitigation of damages 1 — compare aggravate
  3. intransitive verb
  4. :  to lessen or minimize the severity of one's losses or damage <a failure to mitigate>


\ˌmi-tə-ˈgā-shən\ play noun


\ˈmi-tə-ˌgā-tiv\ play adjective

Seen and Heard



looking or feeling very sad

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