- moderate
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—moderately, adv. —moderateness, n.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. calm or mild, as of the weather.5. of or pertaining to moderates, as in politics or religion.n.6. a person who is moderate in opinion or opposed to extreme views and actions, esp. in politics or religion.7. (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.v.i.10. to become less violent, severe, intense, or rigorous.11. to act as moderator; preside.[1350-1400; ME moderate (adj.), moderaten (v.) < L moderatus (ptp. of moderari to restrain, control), equiv. to modera- v. s. (see MODEST) + -tus ptp. suffix]Syn. 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.Ant. 5, 6. radical.
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Universalium. 2010.