Webster's English Dictionary

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moderate

1. mod.er.ate \'ma:d-(*-)r*t\ \'ma:d-*rt-le-, 'ma:d-(*-)r*t-\ 
   \'ma:d-(*-)r*t-n*s\ aj [ME, fr. L moderatus, fr. pp. of moderare to 
   moderate; akin to L Xmodus measure 1a: avoiding extremes of behavior or 
   expression : observing reasonable l imits 1b: CALM, TEMPERATE  2a: tending 
   toward the mean or average amount or dimension  2b: having average or less 
   than average quality : MEDIOCRE  3: avoiding extreme political or social 
   measures  4: limited in scope or effect  5: not expensive : reasonable or 
   low in price  of a color  6: of medium lightness and medium chroma  
   MODERATE implies absence or avoidance of excess; TEMPERATE suggests the 
   effect of restraint or restriction - moderate n SYN syn MODERATE, TEMPERATE 
   mean neither too much nor too litte. 
2. mod.er.ate \'ma:d-*-.ra-t\ \.ma:d-*-'ra--sh*n\ vt 1: to lessen the 
   intensity or extremeness of : TEMPER  2: to preside over or act as chairman 
   of  1: to act as a moderator  2: to become less violent, severe, or intense 
    - mod.er.a.tion n