moderation - Wiktionary, the free dictionary (original) (raw)

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

Proto-Indo-European *-tis

Proto-Indo-European *-tiHō

Middle French [Term?]bor.

English moderation

Borrowed from Middle French [Term?], from Old French moderacion, from Latin moderātiō. By surface analysis, moderate +‎ ion.

moderation (countable and uncountable, plural moderations)

  1. The state or quality of being moderate; avoidance of extremes.
    • 1696, William Stephens, An Account of the Growth of Deism in England, page 17:
      ...It regulates and governs the Passions of the Mind, and brings them into due moderation and frame...
    • 1772, Robert Clive, [1]:
      Mr. Chairman, at this moment I stand astonished at my own moderation!
    • 1821 October 12, Lord Byron, [2]:
      America is a model of force and freedom and moderation - with all the coarseness and rudeness of its people.
  2. An instance of moderating: bringing something away from extremes, especially in a beneficial way.
    • 1936 March, The Southern Lumberman‎[3], page 34:
      With the quick moderation of the weather some buying has appeared that had been held up because of the extremely cold weather […] .
  3. The process of moderating a discussion.
    The moderation of a large online forum can be hard work.
  4. Usage of neutron moderator to slow down neutrons in a nuclear reactor.

state or quality of being moderate; avoidance of extremes