MODERATE

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does moderate mean? 

• MODERATE (noun)
  The noun MODERATE has 1 sense:

1. a person who takes a position in the political center

  Familiarity information: MODERATE used as a noun is very rare.

• MODERATE (adjective)
  The adjective MODERATE has 3 senses:

1. being within reasonable or average limits; not excessive or extreme

2. not extreme

3. marked by avoidance of extravagance or extremes

  Familiarity information: MODERATE used as an adjective is uncommon.

• MODERATE (verb)
  The verb MODERATE has 6 senses:

1. preside over

2. make less fast or intense

3. lessen the intensity of; temper; hold in restraint; hold or keep within limits

4. make less severe or harsh

5. make less strong or intense; soften

6. make more temperate, acceptable, or suitable by adding something else

  Familiarity information: MODERATE used as a verb is common.

 Dictionary entry details 

• MODERATE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A person who takes a position in the political center

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Synonyms:

centrist; middle of the roader; moderate; moderationist

Hypernyms ("moderate" is a kind of...):

adult; grownup (a fully developed person from maturity onward)

Holonyms ("moderate" is a member of...):

center (politically moderate persons; centrists)

• MODERATE (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Being within reasonable or average limits; not excessive or extreme

Context example:

the X-ray showed moderate enlargement of the heart

Similar:

cautious; conservative (avoiding excess)

modest; small (not large but sufficient in size or amount)

minimalist (advocating minimal reforms (as in government or politics))

middle-of-the-road (not extreme, especially in political views)

limited (not excessive)

indifferent (neither too great nor too little)

fair; fairish; reasonable (not excessive or extreme)

average; intermediate; medium (around the middle of a scale of evaluation)

Also:

mild (moderate in type or degree or effect or force; far from extreme)

temperate (not extreme in behavior)

Attribute:

moderateness; moderation (quality of being moderate and avoiding extremes)

Antonym:

immoderate (beyond reasonable limits)

Derivation:

moderateness (quality of being moderate and avoiding extremes)

moderateness (the property of being moderate in price or expenditures)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Not extreme

Synonyms:

moderate; temperate

Context example:

temperate in his response to criticism

Similar:

mild (moderate in type or degree or effect or force; far from extreme)

Derivation:

moderateness (quality of being moderate and avoiding extremes)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Marked by avoidance of extravagance or extremes

Synonyms:

moderate; restrained

Context example:

restrained in his response

Similar:

temperate (not extreme in behavior)

Derivation:

moderateness (quality of being moderate and avoiding extremes)

• MODERATE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they moderate ... he / she / it moderates
Past simple: moderated   
Past participle: moderated   
-ing form: moderating   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Preside over

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

chair; lead; moderate

Context example:

John moderated the discussion

Hypernyms (to "moderate" is one way to...):

discuss; hash out; talk over (speak with others about (something); talk (something) over in detail; have a discussion)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s something

Sentence example:

Sam and Sue moderate

Derivation:

moderator (someone who presides over a forum or debate)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Make less fast or intense

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Context example:

moderate your speed

Hypernyms (to "moderate" is one way to...):

decelerate; slow down (reduce the speed of)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Derivation:

moderation (quality of being moderate and avoiding extremes)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Lessen the intensity of; temper; hold in restraint; hold or keep within limits

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Synonyms:

check; contain; control; curb; hold; hold in; moderate

Context example:

control your anger

Hypernyms (to "moderate" is one way to...):

hold back; keep; keep back; restrain (prevent the action or expression of)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "moderate"):

conquer; stamp down; subdue; suppress (bring under control by force or authority)

damp (restrain or discourage)

crucify; mortify; subdue (hold within limits and control)

abnegate; deny (deny oneself (something); restrain, especially from indulging in some pleasure)

train (cause to grow in a certain way by tying and pruning it)

catch (check oneself during an action)

bate (moderate or restrain; lessen the force of)

thermostat (control the temperature with a thermostat)

counteract; countercheck (oppose or check by a counteraction)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Derivation:

moderation (quality of being moderate and avoiding extremes)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Make less severe or harsh

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

mince; moderate; soften

Context example:

He moderated his tone when the students burst out in tears

Hypernyms (to "moderate" is one way to...):

alter; change; modify (cause to change; make different; cause a transformation)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

moderation (the action of lessening in severity or intensity)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Make less strong or intense; soften

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

moderate; tame; tone down

Context example:

The author finally tamed some of his potentially offensive statements

Hypernyms (to "moderate" is one way to...):

alter; change; modify (cause to change; make different; cause a transformation)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Derivation:

moderation (quality of being moderate and avoiding extremes)

Sense 6

Meaning:

Make more temperate, acceptable, or suitable by adding something else

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

moderate; mollify; season; temper

Context example:

she tempered her criticism

Hypernyms (to "moderate" is one way to...):

weaken (lessen the strength of)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Derivation:

moderator (someone who mediates disputes and attempts to avoid violence)

 Context examples 

It is characterized by the presence of moderate atypia.

(Bile Duct Mucinous Cystic Neoplasm with Intermediate Grade Intraepithelial Neoplasia, NCI Thesaurus)

For most adults, moderate alcohol use is probably not harmful.

(Alcoholism, NIH: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism)

Anything more than moderate drinking can be risky.

(Alcohol, NIH: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism)

It is characterized by the presence of moderate epithelial atypia.

(Bile Duct Papillary Neoplasm with Intermediate Grade Intraepithelial Neoplasia, NCI Thesaurus)

Biliary intraepithelial neoplasia characterized by the presence of moderate epithelial atypia.

(Biliary Intraepithelial Neoplasia-2, NCI Thesaurus)

The CD40 receptor was first associated with expression in B cells and the role it plays through its ligand CD40L (CD154) in moderating T cell activation.

(CD40L Signaling Pathway, NCI Thesaurus/BIOCARTA)

Scientists moderate BioCarta, and the site is open and without restriction or cost to participants.

(BioCarta, NCI Thesaurus)

LFA-1 moderates adhesion of lymphocytes with other cells and also transduces signals into cells through interaction with ICAM-1 expressed on endothelial cells.

(Adhesion Molecules on Lymphocyte Pathway, NCI Thesaurus/BIOCARTA)

However, until now relatively little was known about the effects of mild-to-moderate hearing loss during childhood.

(Mild-to-moderate hearing loss in children leads to changes in how brain processes sound, University of Cambridge)

A moderate level of exercise immediately before and then during pregnancy leads to important changes in different tissues of the obese mother, effectively making the tissues more like those seen in non-obese mothers.

(Exercise in pregnancy improves health of obese mothers by restoring their tissues, University of Cambridge)