moderate
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moderate¹
- /ˈmɒdəɹət/ UK
- /ˈmɑdəɹət/ Atlantic Canada, US
Where it comes from
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.
adjective more moderate · most moderate
- Not excessive; acting in moderation. moderate language
- More than mild but less than severe.
- Mediocre.
- Average or middling, for example in price.
- Not violent or rigorous; temperate; mild; gentle. a moderate winter
- Having an intermediate position between liberal and conservative.
Similar: measured, mellow, middle of the road, mild, moderate, nonexcessive, nonextreme, nonfanatic, proper, reasonable, reasonous, sober
moderate²
- /ˈmɒdəɹət/ UK
- /ˈmɑdəɹət/ Atlantic Canada, US
Where it comes from
From a substantivization of the above adjective, see -ate (noun-forming suffix) and Etymology 1 for more.
noun moderates
- 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
- 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.
moderate³
- /ˈmɒdəɹeɪt/ UK
- /ˈmɑdəɹeɪt/ Atlantic Canada, US
Where it comes from
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.
verb moderates · moderating · moderated
- To reduce the excessiveness of (something). to moderate rage, action, desires, etc.
- To become less excessive. He used to be an extremist but moderated later in life.
- To preside over (something) as a moderator. to moderate a synod
- To act as a moderator; to assist in bringing to compromise. We need more users to volunteer to moderate the comment section of our forum.
- To supply with a moderator (substance that decreases the speed of neutrons in a nuclear reactor and hence increases likelihood of fission). a graphite-moderated reactor
