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
- promoderation adjective
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.
Other more niche platforms that allow people to post and interact with one another may not survive constant litigation, even if they try to compensate by investing in extreme moderation.
From Salon • Apr. 16, 2026
"We believe tech platforms are not currently doing enough to help users identify whether content is AI-generated or authentic," Meta's Oversight Board, the body created by Facebook to review content moderation decisions, said last month.
From Barron's • Apr. 2, 2026
While the WTO sees a moderation in demand for AI-enabling goods, it acknowledged that 2026 could yet deliver a fresh surprise.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 19, 2026
TikTok said it rejected the idea that political content is prioritised over the safety of young people and said the claim "fundamentally misrepresents the way their moderation systems operate".
From BBC • Mar. 16, 2026
He himself was the soul of moderation, particularly as Trengove seemed to lose control.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
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.
