moderate

Everyday

1. adjective: Not too much and not too little; medium in size, amount or strength. tree →
2. adjective: Not extreme in opinions, especially in politics. tree →
3. verb: To make or become less strong or extreme. tree →
4. verb: To be in charge of a discussion, debate or online chat and keep it fair and safe. tree →
5. verb (UK, school): To check that teachers' marks on exams are fair. tree →
6. noun: A person with moderate (not extreme) political views. tree →

In the lessons

In everyday health talk «moderate exercise» means activity that makes you warm and a bit out of breath; «in moderation» means not too much (sweets, screen time). In weather reports «moderate rain» or «moderate winds» are in the middle. In politics a moderate is in the middle, not extreme. Online, moderators remove unkind or unsafe posts. Phrases: «moderate exercise», «in moderation», «moderate heat», «moderate a debate».

Examples

• Cook the soup over a moderate heat. tree →
• Eat sweets in moderation, not every day. tree →
• There will be moderate winds and showers this afternoon. tree →
• Thirty minutes of moderate exercise is good for your heart. tree →
• Our teacher moderated the class debate so everyone had a turn. tree →
• The forum moderator deleted the rude comment. tree →
• She was a moderate who wanted both parties to agree. tree →
• He moderated his voice when the baby fell asleep. tree →
• When you go to the merchant's he will offer you brandy; don't you drink much--drink only a moderate allowance. tree →

Note

Pronunciation differs: adjective/noun MOD-er-ut, verb MOD-er-ate. Adverb «moderately» (moderately difficult). Noun for the person: «moderator». «Moderation» means keeping to a sensible amount. In maths problems «moderate» is not a number word, but «moderately» can mean «fairly».