What does the term mitigate most nearly mean?

What does the term mitigate most nearly mean?

• A. to increase the severity of
• B. to remove completely
• C. to make less severe or serious
• D. to cause confusion

Answer: (C)

Mitigate = to make something less severe or serious. This term is about reducing harm, risk, or impact, not making things worse or misunderstanding them. In use, you’d talk about steps that lessen damage, danger, or negative effects. For example, safety measures can mitigate the risk of injury, treatment can mitigate symptoms, and policies can mitigate the consequences of a disaster. The other options describe outcomes that aren’t what mitigate conveys: increasing severity would be the opposite, removing completely implies elimination rather than reduction, and causing confusion has no relation to reducing harm. So the best choice is to make something less severe or serious.

Mitigate = to make something less severe or serious. This term is about reducing harm, risk, or impact, not making things worse or misunderstanding them. In use, you’d talk about steps that lessen damage, danger, or negative effects. For example, safety measures can mitigate the risk of injury, treatment can mitigate symptoms, and policies can mitigate the consequences of a disaster. The other options describe outcomes that aren’t what mitigate conveys: increasing severity would be the opposite, removing completely implies elimination rather than reduction, and causing confusion has no relation to reducing harm. So the best choice is to make something less severe or serious.