1. The action of lessening in severity or intensity.
2. The quality of being moderate and avoiding extremes.
3. The trait of avoiding excesses.
4. A limiting, controlling, or restricting of something so that it becomes or remains moderate.
5. The position or function of moderating something within reasonable limits, and never to excess.
6. Etymology: from Middle French moderation; from Latin moderationem, moderatio, "moderating"; from Latin moderatus, past participle of moderari, "to regulate" which is related to modus, "measure".