# tempered

> English word · Adjective · frequency rank #14,438

## Definitions
1. Having a specified disposition or temper.
2. Pertaining to the metallurgical process for finishing metals.
3. Pertaining to the industrial process for toughening glass, or to such toughened glass.
4. Moderated or balanced by other considerations.
5. Pertaining to the well-tempered scale, where the twelve notes per octave of the standard keyboard are tuned in such a way that it is possible to play music in any major or minor key and it will not sound perceptibly out of tune.

## Etymology
From Middle English tempred, itempered, ytempred, ytemprid, from Old English ġetemprod (“tempered, moderate, goverened, cured”), past participle of Old English ġetemprian (“to temper, moderate, govern, cure”), equivalent to temper + -ed.

## Easily confused with
- **tempted** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tempered-vs-tempted)
- **tethered** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tempered-vs-tethered)
- **temper** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/temper-vs-tempered)
- **tapered** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tapered-vs-tempered)

## Common misspellings (12)
`etmpered`, `temepred`, `temmpered`, `tempeerd`, `temperde`, `temperedd`, `temperred`, `temppered`, `tempreed`, `tepmered`, `tmepered`, `ttempered`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/tempered