Quantcast
 
Dictionary
Thesaurus
Encyclopedia
Translator
Web
Related Searches
Synonyms
Nearby Words

moderate

 - 5 dictionary results

mod⋅er⋅ate

  [adj., n. mod-er-it, mod-rit; v. mod-uh-reyt] adjective, noun, verb, -at⋅ed, -at⋅ing.
–adjective
1. kept or keeping within reasonable or proper limits; not extreme, excessive, or intense: a moderate price.
2. of medium quantity, extent, or amount: a moderate income.
3. mediocre or fair: moderate talent.
4. calm or mild, as of the weather.
5. of or pertaining to moderates, as in politics or religion.
–noun
6. a person who is moderate in opinion or opposed to extreme views and actions, esp. in politics or religion.
7. (usually initial capital letter) a member of a political party advocating moderate reform.
–verb (used with object)
8. to reduce the excessiveness of; make less violent, severe, intense, or rigorous: to moderate the sharpness of one's words.
9. to preside over or at (a public forum, meeting, discussion, etc.).
–verb (used without object)
10. to become less violent, severe, intense, or rigorous.
11. to act as moderator; preside.
Use moderate in a Sentence
Origin:
1350–1400; ME moderate (adj.), moderaten (v.) < L moderātus (ptp. of moderārī to restrain, control), equiv. to moderā- v. s. (see modest ) + -tus ptp. suffix

Related forms:
mod⋅er⋅ate⋅ly, adverb
mod⋅er⋅ate⋅ness, noun

Synonyms:
1. reasonable, temperate, judicious, just, cool, steady, calm. Moderate, temperate, judicious, reasonable all stress the avoidance of excess—emotional, physical, intellectual, or otherwise. Moderate implies response or behavior that is by nature not excessive: a moderate drinker, a moderate amount of assistance. Temperate, interchangeable with moderate in some general uses, usually stresses the idea of caution, control, or self-restraint: a surprisingly temperate response to the angry challenge. Judicious emphasizes prudence and the exercise of careful judgment: a judicious balance between freedom and restraint; judicious care to offend neither side. Reasonable suggests the imposition or adoption of limits derived from the application of reason or good sense: a reasonable price; a reasonable amount of damages allotted to each claimant. 2. average. 8. meliorate, pacify, calm, mitigate, soften, mollify, temper, qualify, appease, abate, lessen, diminish. See allay.

Antonyms:
5, 6. radical.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2010.
Cite This Source Link To moderate
mod·er·ate   (mŏd'ər-ĭt)   
adj.  

  1. Being within reasonable limits; not excessive or extreme: a moderate price.

  2. Not violent or subject to extremes; mild or calm; temperate: a moderate climate.

    1. Of medium or average quantity or extent.

    2. Of limited or average quality; mediocre.

  4. Opposed to radical or extreme views or measures, especially in politics or religion.

n.  One who holds or champions moderate views or opinions, especially in politics or religion.
v.   (mŏd'ə-rāt') mod·er·at·ed, mod·er·at·ing, mod·er·ates

v.   tr.

  1. To lessen the violence, severity, or extremeness of.

  2. To preside over: She was chosen to moderate the convention.

v.   intr.

  1. To become less violent, severe, or extreme; abate.

  2. To act as a moderator.


[Middle English moderat, from Latin moderātus, past participle of moderārī, to moderate; see med- in Indo-European roots.]
mod'er·ate·ly adv., mod'er·ate·ness n., mod'er·a'tion n.
Synonyms: These verbs mean to make less extreme or intense: moderated the severity of his rebuke; qualified her criticism; admiration tempered with fear.
Antonym: intensify
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Word Origin & History

moderate  (adj.)
1398, from L. moderatus, pp. of moderari "to regulate." Related to modus "measure" (see mode (1)), hence, "keeping within due measure." The verb is attested from 1432 in the sense "to abate excessiveness;" meaning "to preside over a debate" is first attested 1577.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: 1mod·er·ate
Pronunciation: 'mäd-(&-)r&t
Function: adjective
: not severe in effect : not seriouslyor permanently disabling or incapacitating moderate illness accompanied by chilly sensations and loss of appetite —Morris Fishbein> moderate —Journal of the American Medical Association>

Main Entry: 2mod·er·ate
Pronunciation: 'mäd-&-"rAt
Function: transitive verb
Inflected Forms: -at·ed;-at·ing
: to reduce the speed or energy of (neutrons) —mod·er·a·tion /"mäd-&-'rA-sh&n/ noun
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
Cite This Source
Search another word or see moderate on Thesaurus | Reference
FacebookTwitterFollow us:
Partner Sites:
ExpediaHotelsHotwireLife123LiveDailyThe Daily BeastUrbanspoonAsk AnswersBloglinesSendori