moderation
Americannoun
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the quality of being moderate; restraint; avoidance of extremes or excesses; temperance.
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the act of moderating.
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British. moderations, the first public examinations at Oxford University for the B.A. degree in mathematics or in classics.
idioms
noun
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the state or an instance of being moderate; mildness; balance
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the act of moderating
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within moderate or reasonable limits
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of moderation
1375–1425; late Middle English moderacion < Latin moderātiōn- (stem of moderātiō ). See moderate, -ion
Explanation
Eating foods in moderation is a key to maintaining a healthy diet. That means you have a little bit of everything, rather than gorging, say, on steak and ice cream. The word moderation describes a middle ground often in either behavior or political opinions. When a politician tries not to be too extreme to the left or right, he is using moderation to hold a middle ground in the hopes of getting as many voters as possible. Moderation can also be the act of tempering an extreme. Try a moderation of your coffee habit, and cut down from 8 cups a day to 2.
Vocabulary lists containing moderation
A Wrinkle in Time
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Nutrition - Introductory
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The Monroe Doctrine (1823)
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The era became known as the Great Moderation.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 20, 2026
Through all of that, he gently brought inflation down and ushered in the Great Moderation.
From Barron's • Feb. 27, 2026
Moderation is advised when it comes to processed options like bottled tea and bubble tea due to their added sugars and preservatives.
From Science Daily • Jan. 28, 2026
Moderation and an otherwise balanced diet is key to enjoying Halloween treats.
From Salon • Oct. 29, 2024
If some of the Members of our Late Convocation shou'd be accused for Moderation, I believe it might be no Difficult task to Vindicate them.
From The Lay-Man's Sermon upon the Late Storm Held forth at an Honest Coffee-House-Conventicle by Defoe, Daniel
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
