(n.) The act of mitigating, or the state of being mitigated; abatement or diminution of anything painful, harsh, severe, afflictive, or calamitous; as, the mitigation of pain, grief, rigor, severity, punishment, or penalty.

abatement about-face abridgment accommodation adaptation adjustment allayment alleviation allowance alteration amelioration analgesia anesthesia anesthetizing apostasy appeasement assuagement attenuation attrition benevolence betterment blunting break calming change change of heart changeableness clemency color commiseration compassion condolence constructive change continuity contraction conversion dampening damping deadening debilitation decontamination decrease decrement decrescence deduction defection deflation degeneration degenerative change demulsion depreciation depression deterioration deviation devitalization difference dilution diminishment diminution discontinuity divergence diversification diversion diversity dulcification dulling dying dying off ease easement easing effemination enervation enfeeblement evisceration exhaustion extenuating circumstances extenuation extenuative fade-out falling-off fatigue favor feeling fitting flip-flop forbearance forgiveness gilding gloss grace gradual change humanity hushing improvement inanition kindness languishment leniency lessening letdown letup lightening loosening lowering lulling melioration mercy miniaturization modification modulation mollification numbing overthrow pacification palliation palliative pardon pathos pity qualification quarter quietening quieting radical change re-creation realignment redesign reduction reform reformation relaxation relief remaking remedy remission renewal reprieve reshaping restructuring reversal revival revivification revolution ruth sagging salving scaling down self-pity shift simplicity slackening softening soothing subduement subtraction sudden change switch sympathy tempering thinning total change tranquilization transition turn turnabout upheaval variation variety varnish violent change weakening whitewash whitewashing worsening