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Origin and history of mitigate

mitigate(v.)

early 15c., "relieve (pain); make mild or more tolerable; reduce in amount or degree," from Latin mitigatus, past participle of mitigare "soften, make tender, ripen, mellow, tame," figuratively, "make mild or gentle, pacify, soothe," ultimately from mitis "gentle, soft" + root of agere "to do, perform" (from PIE root *ag- "to drive, draw out or forth, move"). For mitis de Vaan suggests cognates in Sanskrit mayas- "refreshment, enjoyment," Lithuanian mielas "nice, sweet, dear," Welsh mwydion "soft parts," Old Irish min "soft," from a PIE *mehiti- "soft." Related: Mitigated; mitigating; mitigates.

also from early 15c.

Entries linking to mitigate

mitigating(adj.)

"extenuating," 1610s, present-participle adjective from mitigate.

immitigable(adj.)

1570s, from Latin immitigabilis, from assimilated form of in- "not" (see in- (1)) + mitigabilis, from past-participle stem of mitigare "make mild or gentle" (see mitigate). Related: Immitigably.

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extenuate
1530s, "make thin, lean, slender, or rare; reduce in thickness or density" (the literal sense, now rare); from Latin extenuatus, past participle of extenuare "lessen, make small, reduce, diminish, detract from," from ex "out" (see ex-) + tenuare "make thin," from tenuis "thin," f
palliate
early 15c., "alleviate (a disease or its symptoms) without curing," from Medieval Latin palliatus, literally "cloaked," from past participle of Late Latin palliare "cover with a cloak, conceal," from Latin pallium "cloak" (see pall (n.)). Meaning "excuse or extenuate (an offense)
moderate
moderatus "within bounds, observing moderation;" figuratively "modest, restrained," past participle of moderari "to regulate, mitigate...
palliative
early 15c., palliatif, "serving to mitigate or alleviate" (a wound, disease, etc.); also "serving to cover, concealing;"...
soften
late 14c., softenen, transitive, "mitigate, diminish" sorrow, etc., from soft (adj.) + -en (1)....
ease
Meaning "to give ease, mitigate, alleviate, relieve from pain or care" is from mid-14c....
rationalize
1767, "explain in a rational way, make conformable to reason," from rational + -ize. The psychological sense of "to give an explanation that conceals true motives" dates from 1922, on the notion of "cause to appear reasonable or socially acceptable." In 19c. Newman and Browning a
excuse
mid-13c., "attempt to clear (someone) from blame, find excuses for," from Old French escuser (12c., Modern French excuser) "apologize, make excuses; pardon, exonerate," from Latin excusare "excuse, apologize, make an excuse for, plead as an excuse; release from a charge; decline,
decrease
early 15c., decresen (intransitive) "become less, be diminished gradually," from Anglo-French decreiss-, present-participle stem of decreistre, Old French descroistre (12c., Modern French décroître), from Latin decrescere "to grow less, diminish," from de "away from" (see de-) +

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