1
: to cause to become less harsh or hostile : mollify aggressiveness may be mitigated or … channeled—Ashley Montagu2
a : to make less severe or painful : alleviate mitigate a patient's suffering b : extenuate attempted to mitigate the offense Mitigatevs.
Militate: Usage Guide
Mitigate is sometimes used as an intransitive (followed by against) where militate might be expected. Even though Faulkner used it
some intangible and invisible social force that mitigates against him —William Faulknerand one critic thinks it should be called an American idiom, it is usually considered a mistake.
Did you know?The meaning of mitigate is straightforward enough: to make something—such as a problem, symptom, or punishment—less harsh or severe. Sometimes, however, mitigate appears where the similar-looking militate is expected. That word, which is often followed by against, means “to have weight or effect,” as in “your unexcused absences are likely to militate against your getting a promotion.” The two words are not closely related (mitigate comes from the Latin verb mitigare, meaning “to soften,” whereas militate traces to militare, meaning “to engage in warfare”), but the confusion between the two has existed for long enough that some usage commentators have accepted “mitigate against” as an idiomatic alternative to militate. Even William Faulkner used mitigate in this way in his 1932 short story, Centaur in Brass, writing “It's as though there were some intangible and invisible social force that mitigates against him.” But unless you’re Faulkner, it’s best to keep mitigate and militate distinct.
Choose the Right Synonym for mitigate
took an aspirin to relieve the pain
alleviate implies temporary or partial lessening of pain or distress.
the lotion alleviated the itching
lighten implies reducing a burdensome or depressing weight.
good news would lighten our worries
assuage implies softening or sweetening what is harsh or disagreeable.
ocean breezes assuaged the intense heat
mitigate suggests a moderating or countering of the effect of something violent or painful.
the need to mitigate barbaric laws
allay implies an effective calming or soothing of fears or alarms.
Examples of mitigate in a Sentence Recent Examples on the Web Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback. To mitigate these issues, monitoring systems are hugely important. —Jeff Mahler, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025 Travelers are mitigating these risks by purchasing travel insurance, booking flexible tickets, and researching destinations. —Christopher Elliott, USA Today, 27 June 2025 The company mitigates unforeseen delays by keeping its customers consistently in the loop. —Victoria Gomelsky, Robb Report, 27 June 2025 Then there’s the matter of ensuring proper internal temperatures while mitigating the various issues that may arise. —Anthony Reardon, Kansas City Star, 27 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for mitigate Word HistoryEtymology
Middle English, from Latin mitigatus, past participle of mitigare to soften, from mitis soft + -igare (akin to Latin agere to drive); akin to Old Irish moíth soft — more at agent
First Known Use
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2b
Time Traveler
The first known use of mitigate was in the 15th century Cite this Entry“Mitigate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mitigate. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025.
Last Updated: 30 Jun 2025 - Updated example sentencesLove words? Need even more definitions?
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