mitigate

1. (transitive, of problems or flaws) To reduce, lessen, or decrease and thereby to make less severe or easier to bear.Examples: "Measures are pursuing to prevent or mitigate the usual consequences of such outrages, and with the hope of their succeeding at least to avert general hostility."; "But in yielding to it the retaliation has been mitigated as much as possible, both in its extent and in its character..."; "Then they tell us that vaccination will mitigate the disease that it will make it milder."Synonyms: alleviate, check, diminish, ease, lighten, mollify, pacify, palliatetransitive

2. (transitive) To downplay.transitive

3. (intransitive, proscribed) To give force or effect toward preventing a problem.Examples: "We've mitigated against the chance of flooding."Synonyms: militateintransitiveproscribed