Moderate

UK: adjective: /ˈmɒdərət/, verb: /ˈmɒdəreɪt/

US: /adj., n. ˈmɑdərɪt, ˈmɑdrɪt; v. -əˌreɪt/

US: (adj., n. mod′ər it, mod′rit; v. mod′ə rāt′)

Inflections of 'moderate' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

moderates

v 3rd person singular

moderating

v pres p

moderated

v past

moderated

v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

mod•er•ate /adj., n. ˈmɑdərɪt, ˈmɑdrɪt; v. -əˌreɪt/   adj., n., v., -at•ed, -at•ing. 
adj. 

1. keeping within reasonable or proper limits:
   moderate prices.
2. of medium quantity, extent, or amount:
   a moderate income.
3. mediocre or fair:
   moderate talent.
4. Government of or relating to moderates, as in politics:
   the moderate wing of the party.

n. [countable]

5. Government one who is moderate in opinion or who is opposed to extreme views, as in politics.

v. 

6. to be at the head of or preside over (a public forum, etc.): [~ + object]
   He moderated the last town meeting.
   [no object]
   He's good at moderating: he keeps things moving.
7. to (cause to) become less violent or extreme: [~ + object]
   moderated her criticism of the plan.
   [no object]
   The storm moderated.

mod•er•ate•ness, n. [uncountable]

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

mod•er•ate  (adj., n. mod′ər it, mod′rit;v. mod′ə rāt′), adj., n., v., -at•ed, -at•ing. 
adj. 

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. Meteorology calm or mild, as of the weather.
5. Government of or pertaining to moderates, as in politics or religion.

n. 

6. Government a person who is moderate in opinion or opposed to extreme views and actions, esp. in politics or religion.
7. Government (usually cap.) a member of a political party advocating moderate reform.

v.t. 

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.).

v.i. 

10. to become less violent, severe, intense, or rigorous.
11. to act as moderator;
    preside.

• Latin moderātus (past participle of moderārī to restrain, control), equivalent. to moderā- verb, verbal stem (see modest) + -tus past participle suffix
• Middle English moderate (adjective, adjectival), moderaten (verb, verbal) 1350–1400

mod′er•ate•ly, adv. 
mod′er•ate•ness, n. 
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.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

moderate adjective / ˈmɒdərɪt ˈmɒdrɪt/

1. not extreme or excessive; within due or reasonable limits
2. not violent; mild or temperate
3. of average quality or extent: moderate success

noun / ˈmɒdərɪt ˈmɒdrɪt/

1. a person who holds moderate views, esp in politics

verb / ˈmɒdəˌreɪt/

1. to become or cause to become less extreme or violent
2. when intr, often followed by over: to preside over a meeting, discussion, etc
3. to act as an external moderator of the overall standards and marks for (some types of educational assessment)
4. to slow down (neutrons), esp by using a moderator
5. (transitive) to monitor (the conversations in an online chatroom or posts on a message board) for bad language, inappropriate content, etc

Etymology: 14th Century: from Latin moderātus observing moderation, from moderārī to restrain