militate

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The two words are sometimes confused (usually mitigate is used for militate) because both meanings are connected with having a reducing effect and their forms and rhythm are close. Mitigate is transitive (i.e. it takes an object) and means 'to make less intense or severe', whereas militate is intransitive and (followed by against) means 'to have a contrary force or effect'. The following examples show the correct use of militate then mitigate, followed by an incorrect use of mitigate for militate:

The housing styles, narrowness of the streets and the location of the district vis-a-vis the rest of the city all militate against Neustadt becoming an environmentally attractive area overnight—R. Rolley, 1990

A great yellow sun like a runaway balloon shone from a deep blue sky, and a cooling breeze from the lagoon mitigated the heat—L. Wilkinson, 1992

☒ Enforcement by quotas can mitigate against good police work and damage public confidence in the force—Western Mail, 2007.

Mitigate is frequently used in the form mitigating with words such as circumstance, effect, factor, etc.:

We expect our athletes to compete in the trials unless there are mitigating circumstances, such as injury—Sunday Telegraph, 2007.

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IN BRIEF: To have effect or influence against.

That neighborhood will militate against the road being built on their side of town.

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See words rhyming with "militate."

Dansk (Danish)
v. intr. - modarbejde, tale imod

Nederlands (Dutch)
pleiten, strijd voeren (m.n. figuurlijk)

Français (French)
v. intr. - compromettre (qch), militer

Deutsch (German)
v. - sich aussprechen

Ελληνική (Greek)
v. - αντιστρατεύομαι, αντιμάχομαι

Italiano (Italian)
militare

Português (Portuguese)
v. - militar

Русский (Russian)
препятствовать, свидетельствовать, сражаться

Español (Spanish)
v. intr. - militar

Svenska (Swedish)
v. - strida

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
产生作用或影响

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
v. intr. - 產生作用或影響

한국어 (Korean)
v. intr. - 영향을 미치다, 작용하다

日本語 (Japanese)
v. - 作用する

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(فعل) يعمل‏

עברית (Hebrew)
v. intr. - ‮השפיע על, פעל נגד‬

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