v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Mitigated p. pr. & vb. n. Mitigating. ] [ L. mitigatus, p. p. of mitigare to soften, mitigate; mitis mild, soft + the root of agere to do, drive. ] 1. To make less severe, intense, harsh, rigorous, painful, etc.; to soften; to meliorate; to alleviate; to diminish; to lessen; as, to mitigate heat or cold; to mitigate grief. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To make mild and accessible; to mollify; -- applied to persons. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

This opinion . . . mitigated kings into companions. Burke. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- To alleviate; assuage; allay. See Alleviate. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. made less severe or intense. unmitigated [ WordNet 1.5 ]

adj. serving to reduce blame; -- of situations; as, mitigating factors; mitigating circumstances. Opposite of aggravating. [ Narrower terms: exculpatory ]
Syn. -- extenuating. [ WordNet 1.5 +PJC ]

n. [ OE. mitigacioun, F. mitigation, fr. L. mitigatio. ] The act of mitigating, or the state of being mitigated; abatement or diminution of anything painful, harsh, severe, afflictive, or calamitous; as, the mitigation of pain, grief, rigor, severity, punishment, or penalty. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Alleviation; abatement; relief. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. mitigativus: cf. F. mitigatif. ] Tending to mitigate; alleviating. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who, or that which, mitigates. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Tending to mitigate or alleviate; mitigative. [ 1913 Webster ]