moderator

[ mod-uh-rey-ter ]

noun

1. a person or thing that moderates.
2. a person who presides over a panel discussion on radio or television.
3. a member of an online message board or electronic mailing list with privileges and responsibilities to approve or reject messages and uphold the terms of service.
4. a presiding officer, as at a public forum, a legislative body, or an ecclesiastical body in the Presbyterian Church.
5. Physics. a substance, as graphite or heavy water, used to slow neutrons to speeds at which they are more efficient in causing fission.

moderator

/ ˈmɒdəˌreɪtə /

noun

1. a person or thing that moderates
2. Presbyterian Church a minister appointed to preside over a Church court, synod, or general assembly
3. a presiding officer at a public or legislative assembly
4. a material, such as heavy water or graphite, used for slowing down neutrons in the cores of nuclear reactors so that they have more chance of inducing nuclear fission
5. an examiner at Oxford or Cambridge Universities in first public examinations
6. (in Britain and New Zealand) one who is responsible for consistency of standards in the grading of some educational assessments
7. a person who monitors the conversations in an on-line chatroom for bad language, inappropriate content, etc

moderator

/ mŏd′ə-rā′tər /

1. A substance, such as graphite, water, or heavy water, placed in a nuclear reactor to slow neutrons down to speeds at which they are more likely to be captured by fissionable components of a fuel (such as uranium-235) and less likely to be absorbed by nonfissionable components of a fuel (such as uranium-238).
2. Also called neutron moderator
3. See also slow neutron

Derived Forms

• ˈmodeˌratorship, noun

Other Words From

• mod·er·a·to·ri·al [mod-er-, uh, -, tawr, -ee-, uh, l, -, tohr, -], adjective
• moder·ator·ship noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of moderator¹

1350–1400; Middle English < Latin moderātor, equivalent to moderā ( rī ) to control ( moderate ) + -tor -tor

Example Sentences

MTV Raps at the time and was the event's moderator.

From BBC

The son of the “60 Minutes” correspondent Mike Wallace, the younger Wallace established himself as a correspondent on NBC, where he was a Washington anchor of “Today” and a moderator of “Meet the Press.”

From Los Angeles Times

The legal action was initiated by a former moderator in the US called Selena Scola.

From BBC

“If you take your phone and then go to TikTok, you will see a lot of activities, dancing, you know, happy things,” says Mojez, a former Nairobi-based moderator who worked on TikTok content.

From BBC

Rev Dr George J Whyte, interim moderator at St Giles' Cathedral, led a short service of remembrance.

From BBC

Related Words

• mediator
• referee