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

Kim argues that a state-run model could tie premium amounts with mitigation efforts, which would give homeowners an incentive to invest in efforts to reduce their risk of a fire or other disasters. — Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 30 Sep. 2026

Given the scale of these mounting health and climate risks, business leaders need to set clear priorities, while organizations need to define the partnerships and direct actions necessary for effective mitigation. — Mitch New, Fortune, 30 Sep. 2026

Providing no-cost physical and cyber election security training for state and local governments, CISA includes services like insider threat mitigation and active shooter preparedness training. — Catherine Bouvet, ABC News, 29 Sep. 2026

For the first phase of the project, the two-story building will be roughly 61 feet tall, with cooling systems on the second floor and sound mitigation installed within the building, Community Development Director Brad Weisenburger said. — Taylor O'Connor, Kansas City Star, 27 Sep. 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