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Contract & Commercial Law vocabulary · Breach & Remedies

Mitigate

Meaning in contract & commercial law, with examples

/ˈmɪtɪɡeɪt/verbCommon term

In contract & commercial law, mitigate means: To take reasonable steps to reduce the loss caused by the other party's breach, for example by quickly finding a replacement supplier.

In Turkish: zararı azaltmak, hafifletmek, sınırlamak

How it is used

The injured party has a 'duty to mitigate' its loss: it cannot recover damages for losses it could reasonably have avoided. The noun is 'mitigation'. In general business English, 'mitigate a risk' simply means to reduce a risk.

Example sentences

  1. The buyer failed to mitigate its loss by ordering from another supplier.

  2. We took steps in mitigation, including renting a temporary warehouse.

Common collocations

  • mitigate loss
  • duty to mitigate
  • failure to mitigate
  • mitigate the risk
  • damagesMoney that a court or tribunal orders one party to pay another as compensation for loss caused by a breach of contract or another legal wrong.
  • breach of contractFailure by a party to do what it promised in a contract, for example paying late, delivering faulty goods or not delivering at all.
  • remedyA way the law helps a party whose rights have been breached, such as damages, specific performance, an injunction or termination.
  • liabilityLegal responsibility for something, especially the duty to pay compensation for loss or harm; in accounting, also a debt that a business owes.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Breach & Remedies

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not legal advice.