Definition of MODERATE

moderate

Plural: moderates

Noun

  • a person who takes a position in the political center
  • One who holds an intermediate position between extremes, as in politics.
  • One of a party in Scottish Church history dominant in the 18th century, lax in doctrine and discipline, but intolerant of evangelicalism and popular rights. It caused the secessions of 1733 and 1761, and its final resultant was the Disruption of 1843.

Verb

Verb Forms: moderated, moderating, moderates

  • To make something less intense, extreme, or violent.
  • preside over
    • "John moderated the discussion"
  • make less fast or intense
    • "moderate your speed"
  • lessen the intensity of; temper; hold in restraint; hold or keep within limits
    • "moderate your alcohol intake"
  • make less severe or harsh
    • "He moderated his tone when the students burst out in tears"
  • make less strong or intense; soften
  • restrain
  • To reduce the excessiveness of (something).
  • To become less excessive.
  • To preside over (something) as a moderator.
  • To act as a moderator; to assist in bringing to compromise.
  • To supply with a moderator (substance that decreases the speed of neutrons in a nuclear reactor and hence increases likelihood of fission).

Adjective

  • being within reasonable or average limits; not excessive or extreme
    • "moderate prices"
    • "a moderate income"
    • "a moderate fine"
    • "moderate demands"
    • "a moderate estimate"
    • "a moderate eater"
    • "moderate success"
    • "a kitchen of moderate size"
    • "the X-ray showed moderate enlargement of the heart"

Adjective Satellite

  • not extreme
    • "a moderate penalty"
  • marked by avoidance of extravagance or extremes
    • "moderate in his demands"

Adj

  • Not excessive; acting in moderation
  • more than mild, less than severe
  • Mediocre
  • Average priced; standard-deal
  • Not violent or rigorous; temperate; mild; gentle.
  • Having an intermediate position between liberal and conservative.

Examples

  • a graphite-moderated reactor
  • a moderate Calvinist
  • a moderate winter
  • He used to be an extremist but moderated later in life.
  • In the comment section, the moderator was moderating.
  • moderate language
  • She tried to MODERATE her aggression on the Words With Friends board, favoring defensive plays.
  • The moderates are the natural advocates of ecumenism against the fanatics of their churches.
  • to moderate a synod
  • to moderate rage, action, desires, etc.
  • travelling at a moderate speed
  • While the moderates usually propose political compromise, it's often only achieved when the extremists allow them so

Origin / Etymology

From Middle English moderat(e) (“moderate, temperate”), borrowed from Latin moderātus, perfect active participle of moderor (“regulate, restrain, moderate”) (see -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), from moder-, modes-, a stem appearing also in modestus (“moderate, discreet, modest”), from modus (“measure”); see mode and modest. Doublet of moderato. Displaced native Old English ġemetlīċ (“moderate”) and metegian (“to moderate”). Cognate with French modéré.

Antonyms

immoderate, excessive

Scrabble Score: 11

moderate: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Word
moderate: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
moderate: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 12

moderate: valid Words With Friends Word