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

Carole Walker, executive director at Rocky Mountain Insurance Information Association, said the industry has long supported mitigation efforts, but added Colorado has become a much tougher market to operate in, for reasons beyond the industry’s control. —Aldo Svaldi, Denver Post, 24 Apr. 2026

Starting in July, insurers must provide homeowners with wildfire risk scores that include mitigation efforts. —Shaun Boyd, CBS News, 24 Apr. 2026

That requires expensive mitigation systems — costs that water utilities often pass on to the consumer. —Sandee Lamotte, CNN Money, 23 Apr. 2026

The American Apparel & Footwear Association has issued guidance to address heat stress—the first fashion trade group to set maximum workplace heat thresholds, recommend structural mitigation strategies and promote shared responsibility between buyers and suppliers. —Jasmin Malik Chua, Footwear News, 22 Apr. 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