mitigating

UK: /ˈmɪtɪgeɪtɪŋ/

From the verb mitigate: (⇒ conjugate)

mitigating is: ⓘ

v pres p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

mit•i•gate /ˈmɪtɪˌgeɪt/   v. [~ + object] -gat•ed, -gat•ing. 

1. to lessen in force or intensity; make less severe:
   to mitigate the harshness of a punishment.

mit•i•ga•tion /mɪtɪˈgeɪʃən/  n. [uncountable]

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

mit•i•gate  (mit′i gāt′), v., -gat•ed, -gat•ing. 
v.t. 

1. to lessen in force or intensity, as wrath, grief, harshness, or pain; moderate.
2. to make less severe:
   to mitigate a punishment.
3. to make (a person, one's state of mind, disposition, etc.) milder or more gentle;
   mollify;
   appease.

v.i. 

4. to become milder;
   lessen in severity.

• Latin mītigātus (past participle of mītigāre to calm, soften, soothe), equivalent. to mīt(is) mild, soft, gentle + -ig- (combining form of agere to do, cause to do, make) + -ātus -ate¹
• late Middle English mitigaten 1375–1425

mit•i•ga•ble  (mit′i gə bəl), adj.  mit′i•gat′ed•ly, adv. 
mit′i•ga′tion, n. 
mit′i•ga′tive, mit•i•ga•to•ry  (mit′i gə tôr′ē, -tōr′ē), adj.  mit′i•ga′tor, n. 
Usage

Mitigate, whose central meaning is "to lessen'' or "make less severe,'' is sometimes confused with militate, "to have effect or influence,'' in the phrase mitigate against: This criticism in no way militates (not mitigates) against your going ahead with your research. Although this use of mitigate occasionally occurs in edited writing, it is rare and is widely regarded as an error.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

mitigate / ˈmɪtɪˌɡeɪt/ verb

1. to make or become less severe or harsh; moderate

Etymology: 15th Century: from Latin mītigāre, from mītis mild + agere to make

mitigable / ˈmɪtɪɡəb^əl/ adjective

ˌmitiˈgation noun

ˈmitiˌgative, ˈmitiˌgatory adjective

ˈmitiˌgator noun

USAGE
Mitigate is sometimes wrongly used where militate is meant: his behaviour militates (not mitigates) against his chances of promotion