Dictionary

moderate en · ADJ · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• (California) audio
• mäd'ər-ət (Atlantic-Canada, General-American)
• /ˈmɑdəɹət/ (Atlantic-Canada, General-American)
• /ˈmɒdəɹət/ (Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

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.

Meanings

1. Not excessive; acting in moderation.
   • travelling at a moderate speed
   • A number of moderate members managed […] to obtain a majority in a thin house. 1731, Jonathan Swift, The Presbyterians Plea of Merit:
   • moderate language
   • a moderate Calvinist
2. More than mild but less than severe.
3. Mediocre.
4. Average or middling, for example in price.
5. Not violent or rigorous; temperate; mild; gentle.
   • These are called the Islands of the Blest; rains fall there seldom, and in moderate showers, but for the most part they have gentle breezes, bringing along with them soft dews 1859, Arthur Hugh Clough, Life of Sertorius:
   • a moderate winter
6. (US) Having an intermediate position between liberal and conservative.

Forms

Antonyms

excessive

Deriveds

moderateness · moderate breeze · moderatism · unmoderate · moderatist · nonmoderate · moderately · ultramoderate

Hyponyms

lenient · unadorned · gentle · lax · frugal

Relateds

suitable · intermediate · balanced

Synonyms

mellow · tempered · unextreme · moderate · nonextreme · sober · proper · nonexcessive · nonfanatic · middle-of-the-road · reasonable · temperate · mild · measured · reasonous · middle of the road · unexcessive

Translations (119)

fi keskinkertainen (mediocre) · uk помірко́ваний (not excessive) · vi phải chăng (not excessive) · sh у̀мјерен (not excessive) · ro centrist (having an intermediate position in politics) · nrf modéthé (not excessive) · tg мӯътадил (not excessive) · nn laber (not excessive) · es módico (not excessive) · nrf modéthé (having an intermediate position in politics) · ka ზომიერი (having an intermediate position in politics) · pl umiarkowany (not excessive) · es comedido (not excessive) · hi मंद (not excessive) · vi vừa phải (not excessive) · be стры́маны (not excessive) · ru уме́ренный (not excessive) · cmn 適中 /适中 (not excessive) · ru посре́дственный (mediocre) · grc μέτριος (not excessive) · mk умерен (not excessive) · it moderato (having an intermediate position in politics) · ro mijlociu (mediocre) · be памярко́ўны (not excessive) · hu mérsékelt (not excessive) · de mäßig (not excessive) · it modesto (mediocre) · nrf modéthé (mediocre) · nl gematigd (not excessive) · uk сере́дній (mediocre) · ru уме́ренный (having an intermediate position in politics) · uk посере́дній (mediocre) · cs umírněný (having an intermediate position in politics) · nl middelmatig (mediocre) · de moderat (having an intermediate position in politics) · nb moderat (not excessive) · ga réasúnta (not excessive) · sk umiernený (not excessive) · ro mediocră (mediocre) · bg посре́дствен (mediocre) · gl mediocre (mediocre) · be пасрэ́дны (mediocre) · uk зде́ржаний (not excessive) · sk mierny (not excessive) · ro mediocru (mediocre) · be пасрэ́дні (mediocre) · fi vaatimaton (not excessive) · sv moderat (not excessive) · ro mediu (mediocre) · la modicus (not excessive) · sh ùmjeren (not excessive) · cmn 中庸 (mediocre) · gl moderado (having an intermediate position in politics) · ru сде́ржанный (not excessive) · ja 適度な (not excessive) · uk аби́який (mediocre) · la modestus (not excessive) · sl zmeren (not excessive) · nl gematigd (having an intermediate position in politics) · ca moderat (having an intermediate position in politics) · be ме́рны (not excessive) · gl moderado (not excessive) · pt moderado (not excessive) · th ปานกลาง (not excessive) · oc moderat (not excessive) · ro moderat (not excessive) · sv måttlig (not excessive) · sh у̀мерен (not excessive) · nl matig (mediocre) · fi maltillinen (not excessive) · ar مُعْتَدِل (not excessive) · ka ზომიერი (not excessive) · az mötədil (having an intermediate position in politics) · kk орташа (not excessive) · fi kohtalainen (not excessive) · de moderat (not excessive) · fr modéré (mediocre) · it moderato (not excessive) · pl umiarkowany (having an intermediate position in politics) · uk помі́рний (not excessive) · ca moderat (not excessive) · fi kohtuullinen (not excessive) · ko 적당하다 (not excessive) · hu mérsékelt (having an intermediate position in politics) · nn moderat (not excessive) · nl matig (not excessive) · uk вимірни́й (not excessive) · th พอใช้ (mediocre) · fr modéré (not excessive) · fi keskivaikea (pathology) · bg уме́рен (not excessive) · cs mírný (not excessive) · fa معتدل (not excessive) · he מתון (not excessive) · nb laber (not excessive) · fi maltillinen (having an intermediate position in politics) · de gemäßigt (not excessive) · cs umírněný (not excessive) · be уме́раны (not excessive) · la mediocris (mediocre) · az mötədil (not excessive) · fr modéré (having an intermediate position in politics) · sh ùmeren (not excessive) · ang ġemetlīċ (not excessive) · hi मद्धम (not excessive) · es moderado (not excessive) · de mäßig (mediocre) · ca moderat (mediocre) · ro moderat (having an intermediate position in politics) · nl doorsnee (mediocre) · th พอประมาณ (not excessive) · gd cuibheasach (not excessive) · de mittelmäßig (mediocre) · ru зауря́дный (mediocre) · es moderado (having an intermediate position in politics) · be уме́рны (not excessive) · ru сре́дний (mediocre) · uk помірко́ваний (having an intermediate position in politics) · ro mijlocie (mediocre)

moderate en · NOUN · etymology 2

Pronunciation

• (California) audio
• mäd'ər-ət (Atlantic-Canada, General-American)
• /ˈmɑdəɹət/ (Atlantic-Canada, General-American)
• /ˈmɒdəɹət/ (Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

From a substantivization of the above adjective, see -ate (noun-forming suffix) and Etymology 1 for more.

Meanings

1. One who holds an intermediate position between extremes, as in politics.
   • The moderates are the natural advocates of ecumenism against the fanatics of their churches.
   • On the other side, RMT General Secretary Mick Lynch (a moderate) has to contend with the hardliners on his executive, whose intentions go way beyond trying to sort out their members' terms and conditions. 2022 June 29, Christian Wolmar, “Strike settlement held back by ministers”, in RAIL, number 960, page 43:
   • While the moderates usually propose political compromise, it's often only achieved when the extremists allow them so
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.

Forms

Translations (10)

fa اعتدالیون (one who holds an intermediate position) · gl centrista (one who holds an intermediate position) · bg центрист (one who holds an intermediate position) · it moderato (one who holds an intermediate position) · ja 穏健 (one who holds an intermediate position) · fr modéré (one who holds an intermediate position) · ro centrist (one who holds an intermediate position) · nl gematigde (one who holds an intermediate position) · ro centristă (one who holds an intermediate position) · fi maltillinen (one who holds an intermediate position)

moderate en · VERB · etymology 3

Pronunciation

• /ˈmɑdəɹeɪt/ (Atlantic-Canada, General-American)
• /ˈmɒdəɹeɪt/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• (California) audio
• mäd'ə-rāt (Atlantic-Canada, General-American)

Etymology

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.

Meanings

1. (transitive) To reduce the excessiveness of (something).
   • By its astringent Quality, it moderates the relaxing quality of warm Water. 1731, John Arbuthnot, An Essay Concerning the Nature of Aliments, and the Choice of Them, According to the Different Constitutions of Human Bodies. […], London: […] J[acob] Tonson […], →OCLC:
   • This leaves two strategies to increase the current in a positron beam. First is to provide a stronger positron source and second is to develop a more efficient method to moderate the source positrons into a monoenergetic beam. 2000, Paul G. Coleman, Positron Beams and Their Applications, page 309:
   • to moderate rage, action, desires, etc.
2. (intransitive) To become less excessive.
   • He used to be an extremist but moderated later in life.
3. (transitive) To preside over (something) as a moderator.
   • to moderate a synod
4. (intransitive) 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.
5. (transitive) 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

Forms

Deriveds

unmoderating · comoderate · moderating · automoderate · co-moderate · moderation · unmoderated · overmoderate · remoderate · nonmoderated · metamoderate · moderative · retromoderate

Relateds

mode · model · modal · modality · moderator · module

Synonyms

soften · chair · mitigate · soften · accoy · arbitrate · qualify · ease off · temper · cool · temperate · settle down

Translations (43)

gl moderar (to become less excessive) · es moderar (to reduce the excessiveness) · nl milderen (to reduce the excessiveness) · cs moderovat (to preside over as a moderator) · mi whakaōrite (to reduce the excessiveness) · es moderar (to become less excessive) · nl temperen (to reduce the excessiveness) · bg смекчавам (to reduce the excessiveness) · nl zich matigen (to become less excessive) · nl modereren (to preside over as a moderator) · it moderare (to act as a moderator) · gl moderar (to act as a moderator) · ang metegian (to reduce the excessiveness) · he התמתן (to become less excessive) · fi juontaa (to preside over as a moderator) · fi kohtuullistaa (to reduce the excessiveness) · gl moderar (to reduce the excessiveness) · es moderar (to act as a moderator) · nl matigen (to reduce the excessiveness) · ca moderar (to preside over as a moderator) · fi sovitella (to act as a moderator) · sv moderera (to reduce the excessiveness) · fr modérer (to reduce the excessiveness) · it moderare (to preside over as a moderator) · it moderare (to reduce the excessiveness) · sv dämpa (to reduce the excessiveness) · fr modérer (to become less excessive) · la moderor (to reduce the excessiveness) · fr modérer (to act as a moderator) · gl moderar (to preside over as a moderator) · nl bemiddelen (to act as a moderator) · ro modera (to reduce the excessiveness) · nl modereren (to act as a moderator) · fi tasoittaa (to reduce the excessiveness) · bg смекчавам се (to become less excessive) · de moderieren (to act as a moderator) · bg председателствам (to preside over as a moderator) · ca moderar (to reduce the excessiveness) · bg модерирам (to act as a moderator) · fi tasoittua (to become less excessive) · fi tasaantua (to become less excessive) · fi moderoida (to preside over as a moderator) · fr modérer (to preside over as a moderator)