Moderate

Practice This Word

Not extreme or excessive; in the middle in degree or intensity; prudent and balanced.

adjective

Moderate

Not extreme or excessive; in the middle in degree or intensity; prudent and balanced.

adjective

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Imagine This

Imagine a thermostat set firmly in the middle: the room stays comfortable, not hot or cold, reflecting a moderate approach to temperature.

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Sounds Like

MOD-uh-ruht (adjective); MOD-uh-rayt (verb)

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Looks Like

Looks like mode + rate, hinting at a measured, standard level

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Remember This

Moderate comes from Latin moderatus meaning restrained, related to moderatio (moderation) and the root modus meaning measure.

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Other Forms

moderationnoun

moderatornoun

moderateverb

moderatelyadverb

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Connect With

temperate, balanced, measured, restrained, middle-of-the-road

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Note

Moderate describes degree or intensity (not extreme). As a verb, it means to temper or to preside over a discussion to keep it balanced. Do not mix up with modest, which typically refers to humility or simplicity.

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Study Deeper

Examples

The festival attracted a moderate crowd, not too large and not too sparse.
Her stance on the policy is moderate, advocating gradual reform instead of sweeping changes.

Synonyms

temperatemildrestrainedbalancedreasonable

Antonyms

extremeexcessiveimmoderate

Etymology

From Latin moderatus 'restrained', from modus 'measure'; the sense evolved to mean restrained or within reasonable bounds.

Mnemonic

Middle-of-the-road: remember moderate as the middle ground between extremes, like a road sign pointing to compromise and balance.

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adjective

Having no definite form or shape; lacking a clear structure.

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verb

To establish or fortify a position, belief, or habit so that it becomes difficult to change; to surround or secure a position by digging trenches.

Toxic

adjective

Poisonous; capable of causing harm to living beings. It is also used figuratively to describe something harmful, destructive, or dangerous in a non-physical sense (for example, a toxic relationship).