Moderate Definition
mŏdər-ĭt
moderated, moderates, moderating
adjective
Within reasonable limits; avoiding excesses or extremes; temperate or restrained.
Webster's New World
Mild; calm; gentle; not violent.
Moderate weather.
Webster's New World
Of average or medium quality, amount, scope, range, etc.
Moderate skills, moderate prices.
Webster's New World
Of limited or average quality; mediocre.
American Heritage
Opposed to radical or extreme views or measures, especially in politics or religion.
American Heritage
Synonyms:
noun
moderates
A person holding moderate views or opinions, as in politics or religion.
Webster's New World
Synonyms:
- moderationist
- middle-of-the-roader
- centrist
- soft-shell
- k
- via-media
- temperance
- restraint
- prudence
- moderation
- moderateness
- golden-mean
- discretion
- continence
- abstinence
verb
moderated, moderates, moderating
To cause to be less extreme, intense, or violent.
American Heritage
To become moderate.
Webster's New World
To cause to become moderate; make less extreme, violent, etc.; restrain.
Webster's New World
To preside over (a meeting, etc.)
Webster's New World
To serve as a moderator.
Webster's New World
Other Word Forms of Moderate
Noun
Singular:
moderate
Plural:
moderatesOrigin of Moderate
-
From Middle English moderat, from Latin moderātus, perfect active participle of moderor (“regulate, restrain, moderate"), from moder-, modes-, a stem appearing also in modestus (“moderate, discreet, modest"), from modus (“measure"); see mode and modest.
From Wiktionary
-
Middle English moderat from Latin moderātus past participle of moderārī to moderate med- in Indo-European roots
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
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