temperate
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
describing a place where the weather is mild — it is never extremely hot or extremely cold.
relating to a climate characterized by mild temperatures, lacking the extremes of the tropical or polar regions.
Simple“The country has a temperate climate with warm summers and cool winters.”
In context“Plants from temperate regions often require a period of winter dormancy to thrive during the subsequent growing season.”
UsageUsually precedes the noun 'climate' or 'zone'.
- 02 C1 Advanced
showing self-control; not eating or drinking too much, and staying calm.
showing moderation or self-restraint in actions, speech, or consumption of food and alcohol.
Simple“He was known for his temperate habits and never drank more than one glass of wine.”
In context“The senator's temperate response to the accusations helped de-escalate the political tension before the evening news cycle.”
Teacher's tipIn modern English, this sense is quite formal; 'moderate' or 'restrained' are more common in everyday speech.
Synonyms
“In a country like Spain, it’s easy to blame the climate and assume that people stick to areas with more temperate ones, without the extremes of unbearably hot summers and freezing cold winters.”
“But Watford fans were able to enjoy both temperate weather and a decent performance.”
The adjective is first attested in 1380, in Middle English, the verb in 1540; borrowed from Latin temperātus, perfect passive participle of temperō (“to moderate, forbear, combine properly”), see -ate (adjective-forming suffix) and -ate (verb-forming suffix). See temper. Displaced native Old English ġemetegod.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.