remediate

Meanings

1. 1verbtransitivetechnical

   To clean up or repair damage, especially pollution in soil or water, through a planned process.

   Grammar: Takes an object: remediate the soil.

   Patterns

   • remediate something
   • remediate a site

   The company must remediate the soil around the old factory.

   Engineers worked for two years to remediate the polluted river.

   The city will remediate the site before building new homes.

2. 2verbtransitive

   To help someone catch up in a weak skill or subject through extra teaching.

   Grammar: Takes an object, often a skill or a pupil: remediate reading difficulties.

   Patterns

   • remediate something
   • remediate a skill

   The school offers extra classes to remediate weak reading skills.

   Tutors were hired to remediate the gaps in the students' math knowledge.

3. 3verbtransitivecomputing

   To fix a fault or weakness in a system, such as a security flaw.

   Grammar: The object is the problem: remediate the vulnerabilities.

   Patterns

   • remediate a vulnerability
   • remediate an issue

   The team moved quickly to remediate the security flaw.

   All critical issues must be remediated within thirty days.

Word forms

Common combinations

remediate contamination

Crews worked to remediate contamination near the plant.

remediate the soil

They used plants to remediate the soil.

remediate a problem

The manager promised to remediate the problem quickly.

remediate a vulnerability

Developers must remediate each vulnerability before release.

fully remediate

It could take a decade to fully remediate the area.

Synonyms and how they differ

fix

Fix is casual and covers any repair, while remediate suggests a formal, planned correction of a serious problem.

rectify

Rectify is used for correcting mistakes or errors, whereas remediate is also used for damage like pollution.

clean up

Clean up is plainer and is limited to removing dirt or waste, while remediate can also mean repairing skills or systems.

Opposites

Word family

remediation noun

the process of correcting or cleaning up a problem

remedy noun

a cure or solution

remedial adjective

intended to correct a problem, as in remedial classes

remediable adjective

able to be corrected

Commonly confused: remediate or mediate?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “remediate”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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