What is the meaning of 'mitigate'?

• A. to make worse
• B. to prevent entirely
• C. to make less severe; to alleviate
• D. to celebrate

Answer: (C)

Mitigate means to lessen the negative impact of something—that is, to make it less severe or more bearable. It’s about reducing harm, risk, or trouble rather than making things worse or eliminating the problem entirely. For example, measures that mitigate flood damage reduce how bad the flooding is, and medicine can mitigate symptoms by making them milder. This fits best because it captures the idea of reducing severity, not worsening it, not guaranteeing complete prevention, and not related to celebration.