mil ‧ i ‧ tate /ˈmɪləteɪt, ˈmɪlɪteɪt/ BrE AmE verb
[ Date: 1500-1600 ; Language: Latin ; Origin: past participle of militare ; ⇨ ↑ militant ]
militate against something phrasal verb formal
to prevent something or make it less likely to happen:
Environmental factors militate against building the power station in this area.