moderate

[mod-er-it, mod-rit, 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)

moderated, moderating 

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)

moderated, moderating 

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. 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

Other Word Forms

• moderately adverb
• moderateness noun
• moderatism 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

Conventioneers demanded a stronger law-enforcement presence, and residents elected a moderate mayor who vowed to beef up the police.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Though Paz has strong support in Congress, he will need backing from Quiroga’s bench and from the more moderate left, analysts said.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

A recent study found that nearly two-thirds of patients on antidepressants for more than two years had moderate or severe withdrawal symptoms.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Unlike Chakrabarti, Wiener has also been a part of San Francisco’s insular community for decades, and has his own base of support — though he is considered a moderate to Chakrabarti’s progressiveness.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

A more moderate trend in home-price appreciation is also allowing for a marginal improvement in affordability conditions.

Read more on Barron's

Related Words

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