"Mitigate against" is a common error. The usual fix does not change the meaning.
Mitigate is usually a direct transitive verb. It takes an object with no preposition. Write "mitigate the risk of delay," not "mitigate against the risk of delay." Careful usage guides, including Garner's Modern English Usage, treat "mitigate against" as nonstandard.
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Learn "Mitigate" in depth →Why this construction is so persistent
You may see this form in real work from many types of writers. That does not make the writer careless. Usage can vary, and the form is easy to understand. Still, it is not the best model for edited work. The fix is simple: drop "against."
Discouraged: "These steps will mitigate against the risk of delay."
Preferred: "These steps will mitigate the risk of delay."
Preferred: "The new controls mitigate the risk of a data breach." (not "mitigate against the risk of a data breach")
The subject, verb, and object stay the same in these examples. Only the extra preposition goes away. This gives you a quick "drop against" edit. If you write "mitigate against," delete "against." Then read the sentence once more.
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Use "Mitigate" yourself
A different mistake, worth keeping separate
Do not confuse "mitigate" with "militate against." They are different verbs. Here, the intended object and meaning may already be right. Only the extra preposition must go. A mix-up with militate is a word-choice error. "Mitigate against" is a form error.
Why the error is so common in the first place
The form may spread by analogy. Several risk verbs do take "against": guard against, protect against, insure against, and safeguard against. A writer may carry that pattern over by habit. Mitigate does not follow it. Treat it as the "direct-object exception" in that group.
Practice scenarios
Practice repairing mitigate against in situations like:
- editing a draft risk report that uses "mitigate against the risk of..."
- catching the error in a colleague's sentence without over-correcting the rest of it
- self-editing a sentence you've drafted before sending it
Useful practice phrases:
- "These steps mitigate the risk of..." (no "against")
- "The new controls mitigate the risk of..."
- "Drop 'against' — the object stays exactly the same."
Want to actually use "Mitigate" naturally at work?
Understanding it is one thing. Practice its nuances, see how it works in real workplace situations, and use it yourself with feedback.
Start the "Mitigate" learning path →"Mitigate against" may sound fluent because the pattern is familiar.
A careful edit needs one fewer word, not a new claim. Mitigation reduces harm, severity, or risk; it does not mean prevention. In legal contexts, the rule and required steps depend on the jurisdiction and facts.