moderation

[ mod-uh-rey-shuh n ]

/ ˌmɒd əˈreɪ ʃən /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR moderation ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the quality of being moderate; restraint; avoidance of extremes or excesses; temperance.

moderations, British. the first public examinations at Oxford University for the B.A. degree in mathematics or in classics.

Nearby words

modena, moderate, moderate breeze, moderate gale, moderate-income, moderation, moderationist, moderations, moderato, moderator, modern

Idioms

in moderation, without excess; moderately; temperately: to drink in moderation.

Origin of moderation

1375–1425; late Middle English moderacion < Latin moderātiōn- (stem of moderātiō). See moderate, -ion

Related forms

pro·mod·er·a·tion, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for moderation

This would, of course, require some moderation of regulatory standards, particularly in reference to climate change.
Legal but Still Poor: The Economic Consequences of Amnesty|Joel Kotkin|November 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Thus it seems likely that instead of striking a new tone of moderation, the new GOP Congress will return to its old tricks.
GOP Senate Can't Resist a ‘War on Women’|Sally Kohn|November 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“I have chosen a ‘middle-ground’ method of moderation, a sort of behind-the-scenes prodding,” he wrote in a posting.
You Can Look It Up: The Wikipedia Story|Walter Isaacson|October 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Maybe the key, as with so many other foods, lies in consuming artificially sweetened goods in moderation.
Are Artificial Sweeteners Wrecking Your Diet?|DailyBurn|September 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Given that Begich, Hagan, Landrieu and Pryor each hail from states that went for Mitt Romney, moderation is a matter of survival.
A GOP Senate? Why It Won't Come Easy|Lloyd Green|September 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
As usual the ride over the plain is very tedious and tiring to the limbs—a hilly country in moderation is much more comfortable.
Byeways in Palestine|James Finn
The instructions given to our ministers were framed in the sincerest spirit of amity and moderation.
A Compilation of the Messages and Papers of the Presidents|Edited by James D. Richardson
I am obliged to you for the gentleness and moderation of your dun, considering how long I have been your debtor.
The Gaming Table: Its Votaries and Victims|Andrew Steinmetz
But he also added that, while he liked their hardness, he disliked their moderation.
A History of the United States|Cecil Chesterton
If thy respiration be too quick, think with thyself that thou hast sinned against natural order and moderation.
Septimius Felton|Nathaniel Hawthorne

British Dictionary definitions for moderation

moderation

/ (ˌmɒdəˈreɪʃən) /

noun

the state or an instance of being moderate; mildness; balance

the act of moderating

in moderation within moderate or reasonable limits

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012