ENGLISH
REFERENCE

moderate

adj. · v. · n.
US //ˈmɑdɝˌeɪt// mod·er·ate
  1. 1 average or middle (adj.)
    B1 Intermediate

    neither very good nor very bad; middle in amount, intensity, or quality.

    average in amount, intensity, quality, or degree; avoiding extremes.

    Example

    The hotel offers rooms at a moderate price for travelers on a budget.

    Example

    The doctor advised a program of moderate exercise, warning that sudden, intense physical exertion could strain the patient's heart.
  2. 2 political middle (adj.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    having political opinions that are not extreme.

    occupying an intermediate position between liberal and conservative ideologies.

    Example

    He holds moderate views on taxes and usually votes for the middle candidate.

    Example

    Moderate voters often decide the outcome of national elections by shifting their support away from the more polarized party platforms.
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  1. 3 to lead a discussion (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    to lead a formal discussion or meeting to make sure it stays fair.

    to preside over a public forum, debate, or online community to ensure order and adherence to rules.

    Example

    A famous journalist was chosen to moderate the debate between the two leaders.

    Example

    The platform uses a combination of human editors and automated tools to moderate user comments and remove offensive content.
  2. 4 to make less extreme (v.)
    C1 Advanced Formal

    to make something less strong or less violent.

    to lessen the intensity or extreme nature of something; to temper.

    Example

    The wind began to moderate as the storm moved further out to sea.

    Example

    The central bank hoped that raising interest rates would moderate the rapid growth of the housing market.
  3. 5 nuclear physics (v.)
    C2 Proficiency Technical Science

    to slow down the speed of particles in a nuclear machine.

    to reduce the speed of neutrons in a nuclear reactor using a specific substance to facilitate fission.

    Example

    Graphite is often used to moderate the reaction in certain types of power plants.

    Example

    The heavy water serves to moderate the high-velocity neutrons, ensuring they are at the optimal thermal energy for a sustained chain reaction.

  4. 6 a centrist person (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    a person who has opinions that are in the middle rather than extreme.

    an individual who holds intermediate or centrist views, especially in a political or religious context.

    Example

    As a moderate, she often finds herself disagreeing with both the far left and the far right.

    Example

    The party leadership struggled to appeal to moderates without alienating the more radical members of their base.
Etymology 1

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.

Etymology 2

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

Etymology 3

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.

Word family

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