Immoderateness

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The quality of exceeding reasonable limits in behavior or quantity; a tendency toward excessiveness or lack of moderation in actions or decisions; exhibiting an absence of self-control or restraint
2. The state of going beyond what is considered prudent or appropriate in conduct or amount; a disposition to act with undue intensity or extravagance; characterized by uncontrolled or extreme tendencies
3. A condition marked by surpassing the bounds of temperance or balance; having a proclivity for excess or overindulgence; reflecting a failure to maintain moderation or measured judgment

Etymology: "Immoderateness" is a plain formation: the adjective "immoderate" with the suffix "-ness" added to turn a quality into a noun. The prefix "im-" is the negating form of "in-" (meaning "not"), used before a root beginning with "m," so "immoderate" is literally "not moderate." The base "moderate" comes from Latin "moderatus," the past participle of "moderari," "to keep within limits, regulate," which gives the word its sense of measure and restraint. The suffix "-ness" is native English, descended from Old English "-nes(s)," and it has been used for centuries to form abstract nouns of state or quality from adjectives. Because it attaches freely to almost any adjective, it is the usual way English names the condition of being a given thing, so "immoderateness" describes the state of being immoderate rather than any single act of excess.

Synonyms: excess, intemperance, extravagance, overindulgence, impropriety

Antonyms: moderation, temperance, restraint, sobriety, balance