Etymologically
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moderate

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ˈmɑdəɹət/, /ˈmɑdəɹeɪt/; /ˈmɒdəɹət/, /ˈmɒdəɹeɪt/ (UK)[1]

Etymology

It is Middle English moderat, borrowed from Latin moderātus (“kept within bounds, restrained”),[2][3][4] the past participle of moderārī (“to regulate, restrain”),[2][3] from a stem *modes- related to modus (“measure”) and modestus (“modest”) (see modest and mode),[2][5][4] from PIE Proto-Indo-European *med- (“to take appropriate measures”).[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Not excessive or extreme, originally of weather and physical conditions: 1392 in Barnhart, 1398 in the OED, the late 14th century in Etymonline.[2][6][3]

Semantic evolution

Of persons, avoiding excess, it is from the early 15th century, of opinions from the 1640s and of prices from the 1670s.[3] The verb, to reduce the intensity of something, is from the early 15th century, probably before 1425 in Barnhart,[3][2] to preside over a debate from the 1570s,[3] and to become less violent from the 1670s.[3] The noun, a person of moderate views, is from 1794, in Burke;[3] MWU dates it to 1648, intended as a translation of French modéré.[4] In Presbyterian churches to moderate is to preside over a church court.[7]

Timeline

  • 1392 – not excessive.[2]
  • early 15th century – the verb, to abate; of persons, temperate.[3]
  • 1570s – to preside over a debate.[3]
  • 1640s – of opinions.[3]
  • 1794 – a moderate person.[3]

Modern meaning

Adjective

  1. Within reasonable limits; not excessive or extreme.
  2. Mild or calm; temperate.
  3. Average in amount, quality or extent: moderate success.
  4. Opposed to radical or extreme views, especially in politics.

Noun

  1. A person with moderate views.

Verb

  1. To make or become less extreme or violent.
  2. To preside over a meeting or discussion.

Word family

  • moderately
  • moderateness
  • moderation
  • nonmoderate
  • unmoderated
  • unmoderating
  • moderate breeze
  • modal
  • modality
  • mode
  • model
  • moderator
  • module
  • modest
  • modicum
  • immoderate

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f Barnhart, Robert K. (1988), The Barnhart Dictionary of Etymology
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ a b c Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  5. ^ Hoad, T. F., ed. (1986), The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  6. ^ Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
  7. ^ Wright, Joseph, ed. (1898–1905), The English Dialect Dictionary, 6 vols., Oxford: Henry Frowde; via EDD Online 4.0, University of Innsbruck (CC BY 4.0)