moderate
Moderators moderate moderate debates to ensure fairness.
The sentence describes how moderators regulate balanced debates to keep them fair.
Meanings
to preside over a discussion, regulate proceedings, or temper extremes
- She moderated the debate skillfully.
- Add cold water to moderate the temperature.
average in degree or amount; not extreme
- Moderate exercise is recommended.
- She holds moderate political views.
Word origin
From Latin moderāri ('to control, regulate'), from modus ('measure, manner'). The same Latin root produces 'mode', 'modify', 'modest', and 'modern.' The verb-adjective distinction (with end-stressed /eɪt/ for verb, schwa /ət/ for adjective) follows the same pattern as 'separate', 'estimate', 'appropriate', 'graduate', and 'deliberate'.
Fun fact
In American politics, 'a moderate' (someone with centrist views) is a noun derived from the adjective sense /ˈmɒdərət/ — but the verb 'to moderate' (a Sunday talk show, say) keeps the /ˈmɒdəˌreɪt/ pronunciation. So a moderate moderates moderate debates, and the three words sound subtly different from each other in careful speech.