moderate

The word “moderate” means neither too much nor too little; reasonable in amount or degree. In plain terms, reasonable and not extreme — whether describing an amount, a political position, or a calmer version of something.

“Moderate” is pronounced MO-duh-ruht (/ˈmɑdəɹət/ in IPA).

Here is “moderate” used in a sentence: “Moderate exercise most days is better than occasional intense workouts.”

Words with a similar meaning to “moderate” include measured, mellow, middle of the road, mild, nonexcessive and nonextreme.

The opposite of “moderate” — its antonyms — is excessive.

Depending on how it is used, “moderate” can be an adjective and a verb.

The word “moderate” comes from Latin. From Latin moderatus ("kept within measure"), from the same root as "mode" and "modest.".

“Moderate” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.

Moderate describes something that is neither too much nor too little and stays within reasonable limits, while mild suggests gentleness or a lack of intensity. A moderate amount of exercise is a sensible, middle level, whereas a mild reaction is simply weak or not severe.

Moderate is generally neutral to positive, because it signals balance and reasonableness rather than excess. Calling an amount moderate implies it is kept within sensible bounds, and describing a person's politics as moderate simply means they are centrist rather than extreme.

The two senses are related but distinct. In everyday use, moderate means reasonable in amount or degree, while in politics a moderate person holds centrist views that are not extreme. Both meanings share the core idea of avoiding extremes.

As the adjective meaning reasonable in degree, moderate is usually pronounced with a reduced final syllable (MOD-er-it). When used as a verb meaning to make less extreme, the final syllable is fuller (MOD-er-ate). The spelling stays the same in both cases.