You can hold the picture of something kept inside sensible limits — not going to either extreme. Not too big, not too small; not too hot, not too cold. It sits comfortably in the middle band, held back from going too far.
From the word’s history
Moderate comes from Latin moderari 'to keep within measure, to restrain, to temper,' built on modus 'a measure.' The whole word is about staying inside due measure — which is exactly the middle-band picture the modern senses share.
moderate 來自拉丁文 moderari「維持在分寸之內、加以節制、調和」，字根是 modus「尺度、分量」。整個字講的就是「守在該有的分量裡」——正好就是現代各義共用的那個「落在中段、不過頭」的畫面。
etymonline.com/word/moderate
登入就可以看每一支怎麼連回核心畫面。
原始詞典資料13 筆記錄
以下是外部詞典記錄的用法，摘錄並精簡格式，我們還沒有寫成教學內容。上面的說明才是我們自己寫的；有些用法可能上面已經講過了。
moderateadj詞源 1/ˈmɒdəɹət/
- 1
Not excessive; acting in moderation.
- moderate language
- a moderate Calvinist
- 2
medicinepathologysciencesMore than mild but less than severe.
- 3
Mediocre.
- 4
Average or middling, for example in price.
- 5
Not violent or rigorous; temperate; mild; gentle.
- a moderate winter
- These are called the Islands of the Blest; rains fall there seldom, and in moderate showers, but for the most part they have gentle breezes, bringing along with them soft dews
- 6
governmentpoliticsHaving an intermediate position between liberal and conservative.
moderatenoun詞源 2/ˈmɒdəɹət/
- 1
One who holds an intermediate position between extremes, as in politics.
- While the moderates usually propose political compromise, it's often only achieved when the extremists allow them so
- The moderates are the natural advocates of ecumenism against the fanatics of their churches.
- 2
historicalChristianityOne of a party in Scottish Church history dominant in the 18th century, lax in doctrine and discipline, but intolerant of evangelicalism and popular rights. It caused the secessions of 1733 and 1761, and its final resultant was the Disruption of 1843.
moderateverb詞源 3/ˈmɒdəɹeɪt/
- 1
To reduce the excessiveness of (something).
- to moderate rage, action, desires, etc.
- By its astringent Quality, it moderates the relaxing quality of warm Water.
- 2
To become less excessive.
- He used to be an extremist but moderated later in life.
- 3
To preside over (something) as a moderator.
- to moderate a synod
- 4
To act as a moderator; to assist in bringing to compromise.
- We need more users to volunteer to moderate the comment section of our forum.
- 5
natural-sciencesphysical-sciencesphysicsTo supply with a moderator (substance that decreases the speed of neutrons in a nuclear reactor and hence increases likelihood of fission).
- a graphite-moderated reactor
摘錄自 英文維基詞典 English Wiktionary，已精簡格式；依 CC BY-SA 4.0 授權使用，改動後的內容同樣以此授權提供。