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 researchers say this combination could eventually be useful for large-scale content moderation, media authentication, surveillance, and other security-critical AI applications.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 1, 2026
A fine reminder that the campaign for sense and moderation isn’t new and isn’t hopeless.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026
As you might expect, several are in closely divided states where moderation and independence can pay dividends.
From Slate ● Sep. 23, 2026
A spokesperson for the social platform told The Times that automated moderation systems flagged the livestream within minutes but that a moderator error caused a delay in the removal.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026
“Nonsense. Rowing in moderation is very good for the pregnant lady.”
From "A Farewell To Arms" by Ernest Hemingway
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.
