mitigated

Mitigated is the past tense and past participle of mitigate. To mitigate means to make something less severe, harsh, or painful; it can also indicate reducing the likelihood or severity of an adverse outcome. The term derives from Latin mitigare, meaning to soften. In everyday language, people speak of mitigating risks, mitigating damages, or mitigating effects; the adjective form “mitigated” describes an outcome or condition that has been lessened.

Common domains include law, policy, environmental management, and healthcare. In contract and tort law, damages are mitigated when a plaintiff takes reasonable steps to reduce losses, which can limit recoverable damages. In policy and environmental planning, mitigation refers to actions taken to lessen negative impacts, such as installing air-quality controls or protecting ecosystems; “mitigated” implies residual impacts remain after measures are applied. In project management and risk assessment, mitigated risk refers to a risk whose probability or impact has been reduced through controls or planning.

A note: mitigated does not imply full elimination. It indicates that an effect has been softened, though some level of risk or impact may persist. Related terms include mitigate, mitigation, and mitigator.