moderate

[ adjective noun mod-er-it, mod-rit; verb mod-uh-reyt ]

adjective

1. kept or keeping within reasonable or proper limits; not extreme, excessive, or intense:

   a moderate price.

   Synonyms: calm, steady, cool, just, judicious, temperate, reasonable

2. of medium quantity, extent, or amount:

   a moderate income.

   Synonyms: average

3. mediocre or fair:

   moderate talent.

4. calm or mild, as of the weather.
5. of or relating to moderates, as in politics or religion.

   Antonyms: radical

noun

1. a person who is moderate in opinion or opposed to extreme views and actions, especially in politics or religion.

   Antonyms: radical

2. (usually initial capital letter) a member of a political party advocating moderate reform.

verb (used with object)

, mod·er·at·ed, mod·er·at·ing.

1. to reduce the excessiveness of; make less violent, severe, intense, or rigorous:

   to moderate the sharpness of one's words.

   Synonyms: diminish, lessen, abate, appease, qualify, temper, mollify, soften, mitigate, calm, pacify, ameliorate

2. to preside over or at (a public forum, meeting, discussion, etc.).

verb (used without object)

, mod·er·at·ed, mod·er·at·ing.

1. to become less violent, severe, intense, or rigorous.
2. to act as moderator; preside.

moderate

adjective

1. not extreme or excessive; within due or reasonable limits

   moderate demands

2. not violent; mild or temperate
3. of average quality or extent

   moderate success

noun

1. a person who holds moderate views, esp in politics

verb

1. to become or cause to become less extreme or violent
2. whenintr, often foll by over to preside over a meeting, discussion, etc
3. to act as an external moderator of the overall standards and marks for (some types of educational assessment)
4. physics to slow down (neutrons), esp by using a moderator
5. tr to monitor (the conversations in an on-line chatroom) for bad language, inappropriate content, etc

Derived Forms

• ˈmoderately, adverb
• ˈmoderateness, noun
• ˈmoderatism, noun

Other Words From

• moder·ate·ly adverb
• moder·ate·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of moderate¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English moderate (adjective) moderaten (verb), from Latin moderātus (past participle of moderārī “to mitigate, restrain, control”), equivalent to moderā- verb stem ( modest ) + -tus past participle suffix

Word History and Origins

Origin of moderate¹

C14: from Latin moderātus observing moderation, from moderārī to restrain

Synonym Study

Moderate, temperate, judicious, reasonable all stress the avoidance of excess—emotional, physical, intellectual, or otherwise. Moderate implies response or behavior that is by nature not excessive: a moderate drinker, a moderate amount of assistance. Temperate, interchangeable with moderate in some general uses, usually stresses the idea of caution, control, or self-restraint: a surprisingly temperate response to the angry challenge. Judicious emphasizes prudence and the exercise of careful judgment: a judicious balance between freedom and restraint; judicious care to offend neither side. Reasonable suggests the imposition or adoption of limits derived from the application of reason or good sense: a reasonable price; a reasonable amount of damages allotted to each claimant. See allay.

Example Sentences

“For internet and culture regulators, they don’t know how to moderate this type of content either…. Sometimes they experiment with these censorship rules themselves.”

From Los Angeles Times

Trump nominated a more moderate congressman, Dan Coats, who filed too many honest reports that were at odds with Trump’s own talking points about Iran, North Korea, and Russia.

From Slate

Our friend Jeff Sharlet reacted by saying that Biden’s speech was misinformation: “A moderate- or low-information voter who tuned in to that, not sure what to think, would have come away thinking that the Democrats had lost to a Mitt Romney or a John McCain. They would take it as permission to tune out again till ’28.”

From Slate

In September, over 100 groups signed a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson urging him to block the bill because it “poses a direct threat to the constitutional rights of any American nonprofit, house of worship, or advocacy organization, whether conservative, moderate, or liberal in orientation.”

From Salon

A California Department of Motor Vehicles report said during a May 13 test, a Waymo on the eastbound 10 Freeway near the Bundy Drive overpass was involved in a moderate crash.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• abate
• alleviate
• constrain
• cool
• curb
• decrease
• die down
• diminish
• lessen
• mitigate
• modify
• reduce
• slacken
• slow
• soften
• subdue
• subside
• temper
• tone down
• wane