transcription, транскрипция: [ ˈmi-tə-ˌgāt ]
transitive verb
( -gat·ed ; -gat·ing )
Etymology: Middle English, from Latin mitigatus, past participle of mitigare to soften, from mitis soft + -igare (akin to Latin agere to drive); akin to Old Irish moíth soft — more at agent
Date: 15th century
1. : to cause to become less harsh or hostile : mollify
aggressiveness may be mitigated or…channeled — Ashley Montagu
2.
a. : to make less severe or painful : alleviate
b. : extenuate
Synonyms: see relieve
• mit·i·ga·tion ˌmi-tə-ˈgā-shən noun
• mit·i·ga·tive ˈmi-tə-ˌgā-tiv adjective
• mit·i·ga·tor -ˌgā-tər noun
• mit·i·ga·to·ry ˈmi-ti-gə-ˌtȯr-ē adjective
Usage:
Mitigate is sometimes used as an intransitive (followed by against ) where militate might be expected. Even though Faulkner used it
some intangible and invisible social force that mitigates against him — William Faulkner
and one critic thinks it should be called an American idiom, it is usually considered a mistake.