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.
Elle dépasse toutes nos prévisions par sa modération et son désir de donner la plus complète satisfaction à l'Autriche.
From Why We Are at War (2nd Edition, revised) by University of Oxford. Faculty of Modern History
"Rochefoucauld says, 'La modération est comme la sobriété: on voudroit bien manger davantage, mais on craint de se faire mal.'"
From The Old Helmet, Volume I by Warner, Susan
De celui-là, on ne peut pas dire qu'il brille par la modération.
From Memoirs of the Life and Correspondence of Henry Reeve, C.B., D.C.L. In Two Volumes. Volume II. by Laughton, John Knox
Je dois même dire que nous avons tous été frappés de leur extrême modération.
From Memoirs of the Life and Correspondence of Henry Reeve, C.B., D.C.L. In Two Volumes. Volume II. by Laughton, John Knox
Grey a fait observer en même temps que la réponse serbe à la note autrichienne dépassait par sa modération et son esprit de conciliation tout ce à quoi on pouvait s'attendre.
From Why We Are at War (2nd Edition, revised) by University of Oxford. Faculty of Modern History
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.
