Moderation

Pronunciation

• enPR: mŏd'É™r-Ä­t-Ä­n
• US IPA: ËŒmÉ‘dəˈɹeɪʃən
• Rhymes: -eɪʃən

Full definition of moderation

Noun

1. The state or quality of being moderate; avoidance of extremes
• 1696, William Stephens, An Account of the Growth of Deism in England, ...It regulates and governs the Passions of the Mind, and brings them into due moderation and frame...
• 1772, Robert Clive, http://books.google.com/books?id=twVuAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA394:Mr. Chairman, at this moment I stand astonished at my own moderation!
• 1821 October 12, Lord Byron, http://books.google.com/books?id=5q4XBa5jsy8C&pg=PA7: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, With the quick moderation of the weather some buying has appeared that had been held up because of the extremely cold weather experienced the first part of January and most of February ...
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3. The process of moderating a discussionThe moderation of a large online forum can be hard work.

Related terms

• in moderation
• moderate
• moderateness
• moderating