moderately

USAGE SUMMARY

The word "moderately" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to describe a situation or action that is of a moderate level or degree, usually a position that is between two extremes. For example, you could say, "She spoke moderately during the meeting, expressing some opinions but not being overly vocal."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Klingenmeyer, at whose house all this happened, and who appeared to Daily to be only "moderately intoxicated," told the officer that he was angry the Palins had shown up and were causing problems.

The Guardian

It is only because the pay and conditions of leading professional footballers were so recently those of moderately skilled factory helots that Best and his contemporaries look so excessively and immodestly affluent".

The Guardian

"I think that as a moderately intelligent women who has a slight public platform (and also as someone who had just run for a train, in the hail, in a mercifully flat pair of shoes) I owe it to others to stand up to this nonsense and I'm delighted that the awesome Twitter community was with me".

The Guardian - Film

The player retaliated moderately, which brought the following curt but unfortunate rebuke from our then manager, Gordon Milne: "If somebody in the crowd spits at you, you've just got to swallow it".

The Guardian - Sport

Cunning and light-fingered, they create barely a breeze as they clean you out of every moderately valuable thing you own.

The Guardian - Opinion

Similarly, real men can reasonably, moderately, drink Baileys.

The Guardian - Opinion

However, even in moderately conservative families this dialogue is rare.

The Guardian

"Viewers were prepared to tolerate moderately violent scenes before the watershed; however, all agreed that strong scenes with a vulnerable victim were unacceptable before 9pm".

The Guardian

He also voted moderately in favour of the bedroom tax, and very strongly for gay marriage.

The Guardian

Given a release on a moderately tight 126 prints, you might expect Chris Rock's Top Five to achieve a fairly decent screen average.

The Guardian - Film

One of my early memories visiting the Whiteheads in Derbyshire is of a walk up a moderately steep hill.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "moderately" to qualify adjectives and adverbs to indicate a balanced or non-extreme level of intensity, helping to avoid overstatement or understatement.

Common error

Avoid relying too heavily on "moderately" in highly formal or academic contexts, as it can sometimes come across as bland. Opt for more precise qualifiers that convey a similar meaning with greater nuance.

Linguistic Context

The adverb "moderately" functions as a qualifier, modifying adjectives, verbs, and other adverbs. It indicates a degree or intensity that is neither extreme nor negligible. Ludwig provides many examples demonstrating this usage across diverse contexts, which confirms its grammatical correctness.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

49%

Formal & Business

27%

Science

24%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "moderately" is a versatile adverb used to express a degree or extent that is neither excessive nor minimal. It functions as a qualifier, providing nuance and precision to descriptions. According to Ludwig, the term is grammatically sound and appears frequently in various contexts, particularly in news, business, and scientific writing. While its neutrality makes it broadly applicable, writers should avoid overuse in highly formal settings, opting for more specific qualifiers when appropriate. Ludwig AI confirms that the word is correct and usable in written English, suggesting that you can use it to describe situations with a measured intensity.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

somewhat

Indicates a slight or limited degree, mirroring the sense of "moderately" with a more concise expression.

fairly

Denotes a reasonable or average extent, akin to "moderately" in conveying a balanced level.

reasonably

Suggests that something is within acceptable bounds or to a tolerable degree, much like "moderately".

to some extent

Indicates a limited or partial degree, similar to "moderately" but with a more explicit acknowledgement of limits.

to a certain degree

Expresses a limited extent or level, similar to "moderately" but with a slightly more formal tone.

relatively

Indicates a comparison to something else, suggesting a degree of something in relation to another factor, similar to contextual uses of "moderately".

within reason

Implies that something is done or exists within acceptable limits, resembling the idea of moderation.

in a measured way

Emphasizes control and balance, akin to "moderately" in suggesting a balanced approach.

kind of

An informal way to indicate a degree or extent, similar to "moderately" but much less formal.

passably

Suggests something is acceptable but not outstanding, reflecting a similar idea of being within reasonable limits as "moderately".

FAQs

How can I use "moderately" in a sentence?

"Moderately" is an adverb that you can use to qualify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. For example, "The team was "moderately successful" this season", or "The dish was "moderately spicy"".

What's the difference between "moderately" and "slightly"?

"Moderately" indicates a more noticeable degree than "slightly". "Slightly" suggests a small amount or degree, while "moderately" suggests a medium or average level.

What are some alternatives to using the word "moderately"?

Depending on the context, you can use words like "somewhat", "fairly", "reasonably", or "relatively" as alternatives to "moderately".

Is it correct to say "moderately good"?

Yes, it is grammatically correct. "Moderately good" means something is better than average but not excellent. It's similar to saying "fairly good" or "reasonably good".