adjective · formal
mitigating
/ˈmɪtɪɡeɪtɪŋ/MIT·i·ga·ting
making a wrongdoing seem less serious; factors that reduce the blame or punishment
Examples
“The judge considered several mitigating circumstances before passing sentence.”
“His young age was presented as a mitigating factor.”
“Counsel argued that there were mitigating reasons for the defendant's actions.”
Band 8 sentence
“Although the defendant pleaded guilty, the court took into account several mitigating factors and reduced the sentence accordingly.”
Collocations
- mitigating circumstances
- consider mitigating factors
Word family
Common mistakes
There were many mitigate reasons for his crime.→There were many mitigating reasons for his crime.
The judge said the circumstances were mitigated.→The judge said the circumstances were mitigating.
Say it for a higher band
5less serious reasons→6mitigation→7+mitigating
Synonyms
extenuating
Easily confused
aggravating
“The presence of a weapon was an aggravating factor in the offence.”
Related words
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