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mitigation

mit-ih-GAY-shun /ˌmɪtɪˈɡeɪʃən/

nounC1GRETOEFLIELTS

formalscientificlegal

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

In climate change contexts, 'mitigation' specifically refers to reducing greenhouse gas emissions to slow global warming (as opposed to 'adaptation,' which is adjusting to the changes).

The story behind the word. From the Latin 'mitis' (mild) and 'agere' (to make). To mitigate is literally 'to make mild.' It was originally used in a legal sense to describe lessening a punishment.

Word relationships

alleviation: Alleviation is often used for physical pain or suffering; mitigation is used for risks, impacts, or legal penalties.
reduction: Reduction is a simple decrease; mitigation implies a strategic effort to lessen a negative impact.

aggravation: Making a problem or injury worse.
exacerbation: Making a bad situation or a negative feeling worse.

Commonly confused with

adaptation: Mitigation stops the cause (emissions); adaptation deals with the effect (rising sea levels).

Word family

mitigate (verb): To make less severe, serious, or painful.

Collocations

mitigation strategy
risk mitigation
climate mitigation
mitigation efforts

Example sentences

"Climate change mitigation consists of actions to limit global warming and its related effects." IPCC Climate Report.
"The lawyer argued for a lighter sentence in mitigation, citing the defendant's difficult upbringing." Legal defense.

Memory hook

Think of a 'Mighty' problem being made 'Miti-gated' (lessened). Make it mild.

When not to use

Don't use it to mean 'stopping' something entirely; it usually implies lessening the impact.

Fun facts

In the insurance industry, 'mitigation' is the process of preventing further damage after a loss occurs, like covering a hole in a roof after a storm.