moderation - Wiktionary, the free dictionary

From Middle French [Term?], from Old French moderacion, from Latin moderātiō. Morphologically moderate +‎ -ion.

• (General American) enPR: mŏd'ə-rāʹ-shən; IPA^(key): /ˌmɑdəˈɹeɪʃən/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˌmɒdəˈɹeɪʃən/
• Rhymes: -eɪʃən

moderation (countable and uncountable, plural moderations)

1. The state or quality of being moderate; avoidance of extremes

   • 1696, William Stephens, An Account of the Growth of Deism in England, page 17:

     ...It regulates and governs the Passions of the Mind, and brings them into due moderation and frame...

   • 1772, Robert Clive, [1]:

     Mr. Chairman, at this moment I stand astonished at my own moderation!

   • 1821 October 12, Lord Byron, [2]:

     America is a model of force and freedom and moderation - with all the coarseness and rudeness of its people.

2. An instance of moderating: bringing something away from extremes, especially in a beneficial way

   • 1936 March, The Southern Lumberman‎^[3], page 34:

     With the quick moderation of the weather some buying has appeared that had been held up because of the extremely cold weather […] .

3. The process of moderating a discussion

   The moderation of a large online forum can be hard work.

4. Usage of neutron moderator to slow down neutrons in a nuclear reactor.

• moderate
• moderateness
• moderating