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mitigate

MIT-ih-gayt /ˈmɪtɪˌɡeɪt/

verbC1GRETOEFLIELTS

formal

Make (something bad) less severe, serious, or painful.

In cybersecurity, 'mitigate' refers to reducing the impact or likelihood of a risk or threat. It doesn't necessarily eliminate the risk entirely but lessens its potential harm.

The story behind the word. The word 'mitigate' comes from the Latin verb 'mitigare,' which means 'to soften' or 'to make mild.' It's a combination of 'mitis' (mild, gentle) and 'agere' (to do, to drive). So, when you mitigate something, you are essentially 'making it milder' or 'softening its blow.' In cybersecurity, this means taking steps to make threats less harsh or less damaging, rather than necessarily getting rid of them entirely.

Word relationships

alleviate: To make suffering, deficiency, or a problem less severe.
lessen: To make less or smaller.
reduce: To make smaller or less in amount, degree, or size.

aggravate: To make a problem, injury, or offense worse or more serious.
intensify: To become or make more intense.
exacerbate: To make (a problem, bad situation, or negative feeling) worse.

Commonly confused with

eliminate: To 'mitigate' is to reduce the severity or impact of something, while to 'eliminate' is to completely remove or get rid of it.

Word family

mitigation (noun): The action of reducing the severity, seriousness, or painfulness of something.
mitigating (adjective): Making a crime or mistake seem less serious or excusable.

Collocations

mitigate risk
mitigate damage
mitigate impact
mitigate threats
mitigate losses

Example sentences

"We need to implement new security protocols to mitigate the risk of future data breaches." A risk management meeting.
"Efforts to mitigate climate change include reducing carbon emissions and investing in renewable energy." Environmental policy.
"Building codes are designed to mitigate the damage caused by earthquakes." Disaster preparedness.

Memory hook

To 'MITIGATE' is to 'MAKE IT GATE' (as in, put a gate on something bad) to reduce its flow or impact. Make It Mild

When not to use

Do not use 'mitigate' to mean 'eliminate' or 'solve completely.' It implies reduction, not total removal.

Fun facts

In law, 'mitigating circumstances' are factors that reduce the severity of a criminal act or its punishment.
Risk mitigation is a key component of project management and disaster planning.