mitigation

Noun

• the action of lessening in severity or intensity
  • the object being control or moderation of economic depressions
    

• a partial excuse to mitigate censure; an attempt to represent an offense as less serious than it appears by showing mitigating circumstances

• to act in such a way as to cause an offense to seem less serious

Related words

• Synonyms: 
  moderation , extenuation , palliation