moderately

[ mod-er-it-lee, mod-rit-lee ]

adverb

1. within reasonable or proper limits; in a way that is not excessive:

   Some of the more moderately priced accommodations are quite pleasingly situated.

2. to an adequate but not great extent:

   We’re moderately well compensated at the factory, but it’s not going to make us rich.

3. to a mediocre degree; fairly; somewhat: moderately chilly temperatures.

   moderately competent dancers;

   moderately chilly temperatures.

Word History and Origins

Origin of moderately¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; late Middle English moderatliche, moderatly; moderate ( def ) + -ly ( def )

Example Sentences

“We should expect rates to increase moderately, but remain relatively low, as a significant portion of the population is vaccinated, the effects of the pandemic lessen, the economy recovers and things start to return to the new normal,” he said.

From Washington Post

The researchers found that antibodies in the body declined moderately after eight months, although levels varied wildly between individuals.

From MIT Technology Review

Nevertheless, I tried to make this article as comprehensive as possible, and you should be moderately prepared for the challenges ahead if you pay attention to all the trends that I’ve featured here.

From Search Engine Watch

Somehow its moderately lofted material manages to feel at once cozier, lighter, and more breathable than any other lifestyle tech sweater I’ve tried.

From Outside Online

Unlike the last five-year plan, which sought to achieve “medium-to-high growth” in order to build a “moderately prosperous society,” this plenum had been expected to focus on the quality rather than the pace of growth.

From Fortune

As this list shows, punishments typically run to a short-ish jail sentence and/or a moderately hefty fine.

From The Daily Beast

In the era of Tea Party stunts and dramatic fan-based delays, the debate was moderately fussy.

From The Daily Beast

For a mere generation, UK-wide public policy had matched the notion of Scottish egalitarianism, at least moderately.

From The Daily Beast

For diehards of the show, staying abreast of everything that happens to Ted and the gang is moderately difficult.

From The Daily Beast

In America the reasonably well-off and moderately comfortable are the angry masses.

From The Daily Beast

A moderately enlarged testis (probably regressing) was noted in the specimen from Pisté, on July 21.

From Project Gutenberg

The finely granular variety is the least significant, and is found when the epithelium is only moderately affected.

From Project Gutenberg

The face of the country through this part of Ireland is moderately rolling, though some fair hills appear in the distance.

From Project Gutenberg

The coast is moderately high, and, in the interior, some hills of an unusual height for this part of the coast are seen.

From Project Gutenberg

As long as he is moderately peaceful and confines his wandering brain to gesticulations and speech, he is let alone by the police.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• a little
• fairly
• quite
• rather
• reasonably
• slightly
• somewhat