What does "moderate" mean?
One who holds an intermediate position between extremes, as in politics.
Moderate
/ˈmɑdəɹət/ adj, noun, verb
adj, noun, verb ·Top 500 ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: One who holds an intermediate position between extremes, as in politics.
- Grammar: moderate is listed as adj, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: restrained, temperate, abate, abated.
- Useful contrasts: excessive, strange, absolutest.
- Usage evidence: Don't go to extremes. To be moderate is important in anything.
How to use "moderate"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "moderate" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "moderate" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "moderate" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "moderate" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
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- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
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Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "moderate" is acting as adj, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "restrained" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
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Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "moderate", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 One who holds an intermediate position between extremes, as in politics.
"While the moderates usually propose political compromise, it's often only achieved when the extremists allow them so"
- 2 a person who takes a position in the political center wordnet
- 3 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. historical
Verb
- 1 To reduce the excessiveness of (something). transitive
"to moderate rage, action, desires, etc."
- 2 make less fast or intense wordnet
- 3 To become less excessive. intransitive
"He used to be an extremist but moderated later in life."
- 4 make more temperate, acceptable, or suitable by adding something else wordnet
- 5 To preside over (something) as a moderator. transitive
"to moderate a synod"
Show 6 more definitions
- 6 preside over wordnet
- 7 To act as a moderator; to assist in bringing to compromise. intransitive
"We need more users to volunteer to moderate the comment section of our forum."
- 8 make less strong or intense; soften wordnet
- 9 To supply with a moderator (substance that decreases the speed of neutrons in a nuclear reactor and hence increases likelihood of fission). transitive
"a graphite-moderated reactor"
- 10 make less severe or harsh wordnet
- 11 lessen the intensity of; temper; hold in restraint; hold or keep within limits wordnet
Adjective
- 1 Not excessive; acting in moderation
"moderate language"
- 2 more than mild, less than severe
- 3 Mediocre
- 4 Average priced; standard-deal
- 5 Not violent or rigorous; temperate; mild; gentle.
"a moderate winter"
Show 1 more definition
- 6 Having an intermediate position between liberal and conservative. US
Adjective
- 1 not extreme wordnet
- 2 being within reasonable or average limits; not excessive or extreme wordnet
- 3 marked by avoidance of extravagance or extremes wordnet
Antonyms
Example
"Don't go to extremes. To be moderate is important in anything."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "moderate"?
Common synonyms include: restrained, temperate, abate, abated, abstemious, acceptable.
How do you use "moderate" in a sentence?
Don't go to extremes. To be moderate is important in anything.
How do you pronounce "moderate"?
Pronounced /ˈmɑdəɹət/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English moderat(e) (“moderate, temperate”), borrowed from Latin moderātus, perfect active participle of moderor (“to regulate, to restrain, to moderate”) (see -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), from moder-, modes-, a stem appearing also in modestus (“moderate, discreet, modest”), from modus (“a measure”); see mode and modest. Doublet of moderato. Displaced native Old English ġemetlīċ (“moderate”) and metegian (“to moderate”). Cognate with French modéré.
Etymology 2
From a substantivization of the above adjective, see -ate (noun-forming suffix) and Etymology 1 for more.
Etymology 3
From Middle English moderaten (“to restrain, curb; (law) modify”), from moderat(e) + -en (verb-forming suffix), borrowed from Latin moderātus, see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and Etymology 1 for more.