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mitigation

mit-ih-GAY-shun /ˌmɪtɪˈɡeɪʃən/

nounC1GREGMATIELTS

LegalEnvironmental

The action of reducing the severity, seriousness, or painfulness of something.

In law, 'mitigating circumstances' don't make a person innocent, but they make the punishment less severe.

The story behind the word. From 'mitis' (soft) + 'agere' (to do/make). It literally means 'to make soft'. It was originally used for softening harsh soil or calming a person's temper.

Word relationships

alleviation: Alleviation is often used for physical pain or poverty; mitigation is used for risks, crimes, or harsh effects.

aggravation: Making a problem or offense worse or more severe.

Commonly confused with

extenuation: Extenuation specifically makes a fault seem smaller; mitigation makes the resulting punishment or effect smaller.

Word family

mitigate (verb): To make less severe, serious, or painful.
unmitigated (adjective): Absolute; not lessened (often used for 'unmitigated disaster').

Collocations

mitigation of risk
mitigating factors
climate mitigation

Example sentences

"The defense attorney presented evidence of the defendant's difficult childhood in mitigation of the crime." A lawyer arguing for a lighter sentence.
"Carbon capture technology is a key component of our climate change mitigation strategy." Discussing climate change strategies.

Memory hook

Think of a 'Mitten'—it softens the blow or the cold. Mitigation softens the impact. Softening the blow.

When not to use

Do not use 'mitigation' to mean 'stopping' something entirely; it only means 'lessening' it.

Fun facts

In project management, a 'Mitigation Plan' is a standard document used to handle potential risks before they happen.