moderate
English
Etymology
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. Doublet of moderato. Displaced native Old English ġemetlīċ (“moderate”) and metegian (“to moderate”).
Pronunciation
- Adjective, noun:
- (UK): IPA(key): /ˈmɒdəɹət/
- (US): enPR: mäd'ər-ət, IPA(key): /ˈmɑdəɹət/
Audio (US), adjective and noun (file) - Verb:
- (UK): IPA(key): /ˈmɒdəɹeɪt/
- (US): enPR: mäd'ə-rāt, IPA(key): /ˈmɑdəɹeɪt/
Audio (US), verb (file)
Adjective
moderate (comparative more moderate, superlative most moderate)
- Not excessive; acting in moderation
- moderate language
- a moderate Calvinist
- travelling at a moderate speed
- 1731, Jonathan Swift, The Presbyterians Plea of Merit
- A number of moderate members managed […] to obtain a majority in a thin house.
- (pathology) more than mild, less than severe
- Mediocre
- Average priced; standard-deal
- Not violent or rigorous; temperate; mild; gentle.
- a moderate winter
- 1859, Arthur Hugh Clough, Life of Sertorius:
- 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
- (US, politics) Having an intermediate position between liberal and conservative.
Synonyms
- See also Thesaurus:moderate
- See also Thesaurus:intermediate
Derived terms
- moderately
- moderateness
Translations
not excessive
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pathology
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mediocre
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having an intermediate position in politics
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Noun
moderate (plural 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
- The moderates are the natural advocates of ecumenism against the fanatics of their churches.
- 2022 June 29, Christian Wolmar, “Strike settlement held back by ministers”, in RAIL, number 960, page 43:
- 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.
- (Christianity, 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.
Translations
one who holds an intermediate position
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Verb
moderate (third-person singular simple present moderates, present participle moderating, simple past and past participle moderated)
- (transitive) To reduce the excessiveness of (something)
- to moderate rage, action, desires, etc.
- 1731, John Arbuthnot, An Essay Concerning the Nature of Aliments, and the Choice of Them, According to the Different Constitutions of Human Bodies. […], 1st Irish edition, Dublin: […] S. Powell, for George Risk, […], George Ewing, […], and William Smith, […], OCLC 756901661:
- By its astringent Quality, it moderates the relaxing quality of warm Water.
- 2000, Paul G. Coleman, Positron Beams and Their Applications, page 309:
- 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.
- (intransitive) To become less excessive
- (transitive) To preside over (something) as a moderator
- to moderate a synod
- (intransitive) To act as a moderator; to assist in bringing to compromise
- (transitive, physics) 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
Synonyms
- (reduce excesses): temperate
- (preside): arbitrate, chair
Derived terms
- moderation
- moderating
Related terms
- modal
- modality
- mode
- model
- moderator
- module
Translations
to reduce the excessiveness
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to become less excessive
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to preside over as a moderator
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to act as a moderator
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- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked
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References
- moderate in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911
- moderate in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
German
Pronunciation
Audio (file)
Adjective
moderate
- inflection of moderat:
- strong/mixed nominative/accusative feminine singular
- strong nominative/accusative plural
- weak nominative all-gender singular
- weak accusative feminine/neuter singular
Italian
Verb
moderate
- inflection of moderare:
- second-person plural present indicative
- second-person plural imperative
Participle
moderate f pl
- feminine plural of moderato
Anagrams
- dateremo
Latin
Verb
moderāte
- second-person plural present active imperative of moderō
References
- “moderate”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
- “moderate”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
Norwegian Bokmål
Adjective
moderate
- definite singular of moderat
- plural of moderat
Norwegian Nynorsk
Adjective
moderate
- definite singular of moderat
- plural of moderat