moderate
/ˈmɑdəɹət/adjective, noun, verb
moderate is spelled M-O-D-E-R-A-T-E: 8 letters and 3 syllables. It appears 19 times per million words in written English, the 4,521st most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, moderate means “Not excessive; acting in moderation” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in moderate?
| Letters | 8: M-O-D-E-R-A-T-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 19 times per million words; the 4,521st most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is moderate?
Moderate appears 19 times per million words in written English, the 4,521st most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce moderate?
- UK /ˈmɒdəɹət/
- US /ˈmɑdəɹət/
As a verb (“To reduce the excessiveness of (something)”): /ˈmɒdəɹeɪt/, /ˈmɑdəɹeɪt/.
Moderate has 3 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-moderate-adj.ogg, En-us-moderate-verb.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of moderate
- more moderate comparative
- most moderate superlative
- moderates plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- moderating participle, present
- moderated participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does moderate mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Not excessive; acting in moderation.
moderate language
- 2
More than mild but less than severe.
- 3
Mediocre.
- 4
Average or middling, for example in price.
- 5
Not violent or rigorous; temperate; mild; gentle.
a moderate winter
- 6
USHaving an intermediate position between liberal and conservative.
noun
- 1
One who holds an intermediate position between extremes, as in politics.
While the moderates usually propose political compromise, it's often only achieved when the extremists allow them so
- 2
One of a party in Scottish Church history dominant in the 18th century, lax in doctrine and discipline, but intolerant of evangelicalism and popular rights. It caused the secessions of 1733 and 1761, and its final resultant was the Disruption of 1843.
verb
- 1
To reduce the excessiveness of (something).
to moderate rage, action, desires, etc.
- 2
To become less excessive.
He used to be an extremist but moderated later in life.
- 3
To preside over (something) as a moderator.
to moderate a synod
- 4
To act as a moderator; to assist in bringing to compromise.
We need more users to volunteer to moderate the comment section of our forum.
- 5
To supply with a moderator (substance that decreases the speed of neutrons in a nuclear reactor and hence increases likelihood of fission).
a graphite-moderated reactor
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
How do you abbreviate moderate?
Wiktionary records one abbreviation of moderate: mod.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Moderate in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | modéré , modérer |
| German | moderat, mäßig, gemäßigt , mittelmäßig , moderieren |
| Portuguese | moderado |
| Spanish | moderado, comedido, módico , moderar |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does moderate come from?
From Middle English moderat(e) (“moderate, temperate”), borrowed from Latin moderātus, perfect active participle of moderor (“to regulate, to restrain, to moderate”) (see -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), from moder-, modes-, a stem appearing also in modestus (“moderate, discreet, modest”), from modus (“a measure”); see mode and modest. Doublet of moderato. Displaced native Old English ġemetlīċ (“moderate”) and metegian (“to moderate”). Cognate with French modéré.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).