Militate-Mitigate | Commonly Confused Words
Learn languages with fun

Master confusing words with ease

Militate vs. Mitigate

Militate

To have a strong influence against something, making it less likely to happen or be successful.

Examples:

His lack of effort may militate against his promotion.Their arguments will hardly militate for a drastic change.Circumstances did not militate in their favor this time.

Synonyms:

Antonyms:

Mitigate

/ˈmɪtəɡeɪt/
To make something less severe, harmful, or painful

Examples:

The company took steps to mitigate the potential risks.Strategies were developed to mitigate environmental damage.He worked tirelessly to mitigate the community's concerns.

Synonyms:

Antonyms:

Ways to tell them apart:

etymology
  • Militate is related to having an effect or influence against something, like a force acting in opposition.
  • Mitigate refers to making a situation or its consequences less severe, harmful, or painful.
  • To remember mitigate, think of miti as in minimize, which is similar to reducing severity.
  • Consider militate as relating to military action or force, although it doesn't directly relate to the military, it suggests a forceful influence.
  • Both words involve change, but militate is about an opposition or hindrance, while mitigate is about alleviation or reduction.
© 2025 Lithium Lab Pte Ltd