mitigate
gb/mˈɪtəɡˌeɪt/ us/mˈɪtəɡˌeɪt/
C1
English
~ 7600
mérsékel, enyhít
VERB
C1
FORMAL
1
Usage pattern:
to mitigate [risk/effects/problem/damage]
The new safety measures are designed to mitigate the risk of accidents at the factory.
Az új biztonsági intézkedések célja, hogy mérsékeljék a gyárban bekövetkező balesetek kockázatát.
Planting trees can help mitigate the effects of climate change in urban areas.
A fák ültetése segíthet mérsékelni a klímaváltozás hatásait a városi területeken.
Early treatment can mitigate the damage caused by a heart attack.
To mitigate the impact of the price increase, the company offered discounts to long-term customers.
Good communication can mitigate many of the problems that arise during a merger.
Learner examples
Wearing a seat belt helps mitigate the risk of injury in a car crash.
A biztonsági öv segít csökkenteni a sérülés kockázatát autóbaleset esetén.
We took steps to mitigate the impact of the storm on our house.
Lépéseket tettünk, hogy mérsékeljük a vihar házunkra gyakorolt hatását.
Drinking water can mitigate some side effects of the medicine.
The city planted more trees to mitigate air pollution.
The manager tried to mitigate the damage after the mistake.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "mitigate" with "militate". "Mitigate" means to make something less bad, while "militate against" means to work against something or make it less likely. Another common issue is using "mitigate" with a positive noun, such as *mitigate the benefits*; it should almost always be used with negative things like risk, damage, or problems. Some learners also say *mitigate against* a problem; in careful usage, you normally just "mitigate" a problem, without "against".
Meaning
make harm or problem less severe
Collocations
mitigate risk
|mitigate the impact
|mitigate the effects
|mitigate damage
|mitigate climate change
|mitigate losses
Synonyms
reduce (More general and common; not limited to negative things, while "mitigate" usually refers to harms or problems.)
|
alleviate (Often used for pain or suffering; slightly more emotional than the typically formal, neutral "mitigate".)
|
lessen (Very general; slightly simpler and less formal than "mitigate".)
|
ease (Suggests making something feel less difficult or painful, especially in everyday contexts.)
Antonyms
worsen (Direct opposite: to make a bad situation more serious instead of less serious.)
|
aggravate (Formal; often used for making problems or conditions more severe, the reverse of "mitigate".)
|
exacerbate (Very formal; specifically means to make a bad situation even worse.)
Themes
business
|science
|health
|environment
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To make a bad thing less serious or less harmful.
To make something bad, harmful, or serious less severe, damaging, or painful.
VERB
C2
TECHNICAL
2
enyhít
B2
Usage pattern:
to mitigate [damages/losses/liability/punishment]
The plaintiff had a duty to mitigate damages by seeking alternative employment.
A felperesnek kötelessége volt kárait enyhíteni azzal, hogy másik munkát keres.
His clean record and sincere apology helped mitigate the sentence imposed by the judge.
Büntetlen előélete és őszinte bocsánatkérése hozzájárult a bíró által kiszabott büntetés enyhítéséhez.
Taking immediate action to repair the leak can mitigate the company's liability for environmental harm.
The court found that the company failed to mitigate its losses after the contract was breached.
Evidence of the defendant's difficult childhood was presented to mitigate punishment.
Learner examples
The law says you must try to mitigate your losses after an accident.
A törvény szerint baleset után meg kell próbálnod enyhíteni a károdat.
Her lawyer argued that her age should mitigate the punishment.
Az ügyvédje azzal érvelt, hogy életkora miatt enyhébb büntetést kellene kapnia.
The company acted quickly to mitigate damages after the data leak.
The judge said the man did nothing to mitigate his losses.
These facts may mitigate the sentence given to the driver.
Common mistake:
Learners may not realize this sense is mainly used in legal or very formal writing. In everyday speech, speakers are more likely to say "make the punishment lighter" or "reduce the fine" instead of "mitigate the sentence".
Meaning
lessen legal loss or punishment
Collocations
mitigate damages
|mitigate loss
|mitigate liability
|mitigate a sentence
|mitigate punishment
Synonyms
limit (Stresses putting a maximum on loss or punishment; common in legal and business language.)
|
lessen (More general; can be used in legal contexts but is not as specific as "mitigate" about duty or circumstances.)
|
reduce (General verb for making something smaller; in legal writing it overlaps with "mitigate" but lacks the idea of a special duty or factors.)
Antonyms
increase (Opposite in legal or financial contexts: to make damages, loss, or punishment larger instead of smaller.)
|
incur (Refers to causing or becoming responsible for a loss or penalty, which mitigation seeks to limit.)
Themes
law
|business
Definition
In law, to make money loss or punishment smaller, usually by taking action or considering special reasons.
In legal and formal contexts, to reduce the amount of loss, damages, or punishment by taking reasonable steps or by considering special circumstances.
Grammar
Dictionary form
mitigate
IPA
GB/mˈɪtəɡˌeɪt/
US/mˈɪtəɡˌeɪt/
Syllables & stress
mit - ig - ate (3 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (mit)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: mitigate
- 3rd Person Singular: mitigates
- Present Participle: mitigating
- Past: mitigated
Word family
Forms
mitigates
verb
mitigating
verb
mitigated
verb
Core family
mitigation
noun C1
Related words
mitigator
noun
Negative and opposite forms
unmitigated
adjective
Expressions
mitigate climate change
1/mˈɪtəɡˌeɪt klˈaɪmɪt t͡ʃˈeɪnd͡ʒ/
fixed phrase
formal
reduce or slow climate change
To take actions that make climate change slower or less serious.
Examples
- Switching to renewable energy is essential to mitigate climate change.
- International agreements are needed to mitigate climate change effectively.
mitigate damage
1/mˈɪtəɡˌeɪt dˈæmɪd͡ʒ/
fixed phrase
formal
limit or reduce damage
To stop damage from becoming worse or to make the damage smaller.
Examples
- Emergency crews worked through the night to mitigate damage from the flooding.
- Installing storm shutters can help mitigate damage during hurricanes.
mitigate losses
1/mˈɪtəɡˌeɪt lˈɔsɪz/
fixed phrase
formal
limit financial or material losses
To try to lose less money or fewer things when something bad happens.
Examples
- Investors sold part of their holdings to mitigate losses during the market crash.
- The company negotiated new contracts to mitigate losses after the product recall.
mitigate risk
1/mˈɪtəɡˌeɪt ɹˈɪsk/
fixed phrase
formal
reduce the level of risk
To make the chance of something bad happening smaller.
Examples
- The company invested in new software to mitigate risk in its online payment system.
- Diversifying your investments is one way to mitigate risk in your portfolio.
mitigate the effects of
1/mˈɪtəɡˌeɪt ðə ɪfˈɛkts əv/
fixed phrase
formal
lessen harmful results or effects
To make the results of a bad thing less serious or less harmful.
Examples
- Doctors are working to find ways to mitigate the effects of long-term stress on the body.
- These measures aim to mitigate the effects of pollution on marine life.
mitigate the impact of
1/mˈɪtəɡˌeɪt ðə ˈɪmpækt əv/
fixed phrase
formal
make an effect less strong
To make the effect of something less strong or less harmful.
Examples
- Subsidies were introduced to mitigate the impact of rising energy prices on low-income families.
- Good planning can mitigate the impact of natural disasters on local communities.