Meaning & use
Mitigating
Last updated
Making a fault, offense, or difficulty seem less serious by providing an excuse or partial justification.
See it in a sentence
The judge considered the mitigating circumstances before sentencing.
Poor health was a mitigating factor in the court's decision.
A note on using this word
Frequently paired with 'circumstances' or 'factors' in legal contexts.
Words with a similar meaning
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
aggravating
Another way to use it
2. verb
To make something less severe, serious, or painful.
They took steps to mitigate the damage from the flood.
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