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Moderate

//ˈmɑdəɹət// adj, noun, verb

Definitions

Adjective
  1. 1
    Not excessive; acting in moderation

    "moderate language"

  2. 2
    more than mild, less than severe
  3. 3
    Mediocre
  4. 4
    Average priced; standard-deal
  5. 5
    Not violent or rigorous; temperate; mild; gentle.

    "a moderate winter"

Show 1 more definition
  1. 6
    Having an intermediate position between liberal and conservative. US
Adjective
  1. 1
    not extreme wordnet
  2. 2
    being within reasonable or average limits; not excessive or extreme wordnet
  3. 3
    marked by avoidance of extravagance or extremes wordnet
Noun
  1. 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. 2
    a person who takes a position in the political center wordnet
  3. 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. 1
    To reduce the excessiveness of (something). transitive

    "to moderate rage, action, desires, etc."

  2. 2
    make less fast or intense wordnet
  3. 3
    To become less excessive. intransitive

    "He used to be an extremist but moderated later in life."

  4. 4
    make more temperate, acceptable, or suitable by adding something else wordnet
  5. 5
    To preside over (something) as a moderator. transitive

    "to moderate a synod"

Show 6 more definitions
  1. 6
    preside over wordnet
  2. 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."

  3. 8
    make less strong or intense; soften wordnet
  4. 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"

  5. 10
    make less severe or harsh wordnet
  6. 11
    lessen the intensity of; temper; hold in restraint; hold or keep within limits wordnet

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.

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