# moderate

/ˈmɑdɝˌeɪt/ (US)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/moderate
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. average or middle

adjective · CEFR B1

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

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

- The hotel offers rooms at a moderate price for travelers on a budget.
- The doctor advised a program of moderate exercise, warning that sudden, intense physical exertion could strain the patient's heart.

### 2. political middle

adjective · CEFR B2

having political opinions that are not extreme.

For teachers: occupying an intermediate position between liberal and conservative ideologies.

- He holds moderate views on taxes and usually votes for the middle candidate.
- Moderate voters often decide the outcome of national elections by shifting their support away from the more polarized party platforms.

### 3. to lead a discussion

verb · CEFR B2

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

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

- A famous journalist was chosen to moderate the debate between the two leaders.
- The platform uses a combination of human editors and automated tools to moderate user comments and remove offensive content.

### 4. to make less extreme

verb · CEFR C1 · Formal

to make something less strong or less violent.

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

- The wind began to moderate as the storm moved further out to sea.
- The central bank hoped that raising interest rates would moderate the rapid growth of the housing market.

### 5. nuclear physics

verb · CEFR C2 · Technical

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

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

- Graphite is often used to moderate the reaction in certain types of power plants.
- The heavy water serves to moderate the high-velocity neutrons, ensuring they are at the optimal thermal energy for a sustained chain reaction.

### 6. a centrist person

noun · CEFR B2

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

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

- As a moderate, she often finds herself disagreeing with both the far left and the far right.
- The party leadership struggled to appeal to moderates without alienating the more radical members of their base.

## Examples

- He is a moderate who listens to both sides.
- The candidate is a political moderate who hopes to win votes from both the left and the right.
- While the party's base pushed for radical reform, the moderates in the senate argued for a gradual transition to ensure economic stability during the legislative shift.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.