( law ) with the aim of making a crime seem less serious or easier to forgive :
In mitigation, the defence lawyer said his client was seriously depressed at the time of the assault.
( law ) with the aim of making a crime seem less serious or easier to forgive :
In mitigation, the defence lawyer said his client was seriously depressed at the time of the assault.
Oxford Advanced Learner's English Dictionary. Оксфордский английский словарь для изучающик язык на продвинутом уровне. 2005