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, 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

These systems support better resource planning and disaster mitigation. —Shelli Brunswick, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024

Climate scientists agree that reducing dairy and meat consumption in wealthy countries is a necessary part of climate mitigation. —Marina Bolotnikova, Vox, 2 Nov. 2024

As far as wildfire mitigation investments are concerned, the governor directed the Office of Energy Infrastructure Safety and the CPUC to evaluate today’s oversight practices for utility wildfire safety and ensure that these programs are cost-effective. —Sharon Udasin, The Hill, 31 Oct. 2024

Most fleeces are also porous enough to let breezes in, which is great for sweat mitigation but bad for comfort amidst 30-mph winds. —Frederick Reimers, Outside Online, 31 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

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