moderate

Meaning

Adj

1. Not excessive; acting in moderation
2. more than mild, less than severe
3. Mediocre
4. Average priced; standard-deal
5. Not violent or rigorous; temperate; mild; gentle.
6. (US) Having an intermediate position between liberal and conservative.

Noun

1. One who holds an intermediate position between extremes, as in politics.
2. (historical) 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

1. (transitive) To reduce the excessiveness of (something).
2. (intransitive) To become less excessive.
3. (transitive) To preside over (something) as a moderator.
4. (intransitive) To act as a moderator; to assist in bringing to compromise.
5. (transitive) To supply with a moderator (substance that decreases the speed of neutrons in a nuclear reactor and hence increases likelihood of fission).

Synonyms

temperate

mild

reasonable

medium

temper

middling

tone down

control

mitigate

mediocre

soften

sparing

average

abate

middle

lessen

calm

chair

🪑

proper

reduce

modest

centrist

abstinent

moderationist

alleviate

curb

allay

intermediate

lead

mean

relieve

sober

mollify

gentle

diminish

check

chasten

tame

contain

restrained

conservative

abstemious

ordinary

bate

preside

modify

appropriate

middle of the roader

median

damp

Translations

modéré

moderado

moderato

moderare

moderar

gematigd

mäßig

matig

moderat

modérer

moderat

bescheiden

moderado

gemäßigt

abordable

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈmɒdəɹət/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: moderat

In summary

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.