mitigate
Say it: MIT-ih-gayt /ˈmɪtɪɡeɪt/ · verb
What “mitigate” means
Make something bad less harmful or serious.
More precisely: To make something bad less severe, serious or painful.
Example: “We back up the database nightly to mitigate the risk of losing data.”
When to use it
In formal work discussions, when describing steps that reduce harm or risk, even if they cannot remove it completely.
Memory trick
Latin mitis means mild: mitigating something makes its effects milder.
Similar words
reduce, lessen, alleviate
Where it comes from
From Latin mitigare, "to soften," from mitis, "mild."
Quick check
A café puts sandbags outside before a flood, reducing the damage even though some water enters. What do the sandbags do?
mitigate or eliminate?
Show the answer
mitigate
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