mitigation

/ˈmɪdəˌgeɪʃən/

/mɪtiˈgeɪʃɪn/

Other forms: mitigations

Mitigation is the act of lessening or easing the harshness of a punishment, a fine, or someone's pain. In the legal world, a lawyer might ask a judge for mitigation of a particularly harsh sentence.

Mitigation is the noun form of the verb mitigate, which means "to lessen in severity." After a natural disaster, the government might offer mitigation, in the form of aid, to ease people’s suffering. If someone tries to make an offense seem less serious by offering an excuse, that's also mitigation. If you miss your curfew, you might state in mitigation that you came home late because you were helping an old lady cross the street.

Definitions of mitigation

1. noun

   the action of lessening in severity or intensity
   synonyms: moderation

   types:

   abatement

   the act of abating

   abatement of a nuisance, nuisance abatement

   (law) the removal or termination or destruction of something that has been found to be a nuisance

   type of:

   decrease, diminution, reduction, step-down

   the act of decreasing or reducing something
2. noun

   acting in such a way as to cause an offense to seem less serious
   synonyms: extenuation, palliation

   type of:

   decrease, diminution, reduction, step-down

   the act of decreasing or reducing something
3. noun

   a partial excuse to mitigate censure; an attempt to represent an offense as less serious than it appears by showing mitigating circumstances
   synonyms: extenuation

   type of:

   alibi, exculpation, excuse, self-justification

   a defense of some offensive behavior or some failure to keep a promise etc.