Mitigating
/ˈmɪtɪɡeɪtɪŋ/
Definitions
To make something less severe, serious, or painful.
/ˈmɪtɪɡeɪt/
Making something less severe, serious, or painful
The doctor prescribed medication to mitigate the pain.
💡 Simply: Think of a bad situation like a fever. Mitigating it is like taking medicine to bring your temperature down and make you feel better. It's about lessening the negative effects of something.
👶 For kids: To make something not so bad.
More Examples
The government is taking steps to mitigate the impact of the economic downturn.
To mitigate the risk of failure, we developed a backup plan.
How It's Used
"The company implemented new policies to mitigate risks."
"Efforts are being made to mitigate the effects of climate change."
"The defense attorney argued to mitigate the sentence."
From Latin *mitigatus*, past participle of *mitigare* ('to soften, make mild'), from *mitis* ('mild, soft') + *-igare* (a verb-forming suffix).
The word 'mitigate' has been used since the 16th century and originally meant 'to soften or make less severe'. It was frequently used in legal and religious contexts.
Memory tip
Imagine a "gate" that can be "mit" (mildly) opened to lessen a problem's intensity.