Temperate
What it means
Calmly moderate in behavior, expression, or judgment.
Reach for it when praising restraint that avoids emotional or rhetorical extremes
His temperate reply lowered the temperature of a debate that had become personal.
Words to choose between 8
| everyday | |
|---|---|
| warm | |
| professional | |
| formal |
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everyday
Fits when freedom from agitation is all the sentence needs
Careful Calm does not convey moderation in appetite, opinion, or language.
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everyday
Fits when gentleness and low intensity are desirable
Careful Mild can imply weakness and is wrong for firm but controlled conduct.
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everyday
Fits when distance from extremes is the main idea
Careful Moderate can describe a position or amount without praising self-control.
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warm
Fits when a person's stable disposition is being praised
Careful Even-tempered is about character over time, not one carefully limited response.
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professional
Fits when competing considerations receive fair weight
Careful Balanced can describe reasoning without saying anything about composure.
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professional
Fits when words or actions are deliberately controlled
Careful Measured may sound calculated if the person is also warm and spontaneous.
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formal
Fits when wise selection rather than emotional control is central
Careful Judicious misses the sense of avoiding excess in one's manner.
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formal
restrained
Fits when holding back a stronger reaction deserves emphasis
Careful Restrained can suggest suppressed feeling rather than settled balance.
Opposites 3
- extreme
- intemperate
- volatile
Common phrases 3
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temperate response
A temperate response kept one inaccurate claim from derailing the whole discussion.
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temperate language
The chair used temperate language while making the boundary unmistakable.
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temperate judgment
Her temperate judgment weighed the urgency without exaggerating the risk.
Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Recording: Neskaya, American accent, from Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 Updated