Public Services and Procurement Canada
Symbol of the Government of Canada

Institutional Links

 

Important notice

Writing Tips has been archived and won’t be updated before it is permanently deleted.

For the most up-to-date content, please consult Writing Tips Plus, which combines content from Writing Tips and The Canadian Style. And don’t forget to update your bookmarks!

Search Canada.ca
To begin your search, go to the alphabetical index below and click on the first letter of the word you are searching for.

militate, mitigate

Militate means “act, work, operate (in favour of or against)”:

  • All these facts militate against renewal of the contract.

Mitigate means “reduce the severity of.” Note that mitigate takes no preposition:

  • The government’s policies are designed to mitigate the effects of unemployment.