mit ‧ i ‧ gat ‧ ing /ˈmɪtəɡeɪtɪŋ, ˈmɪtɪɡeɪtɪŋ/ BrE AmE adjective
mitigating circumstances/factors facts about a situation that make a crime or bad mistake seem less serious:
Judges often give reduced sentences where there are mitigating circumstances.