Temperates

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Characterized by moderation in behavior or climate; to moderate or soften one's feelings or actions; to bring something into a less extreme or more balanced state
2. Exhibiting restraint or mildness in attitude or environmental conditions; to lessen intensity or severity of emotions or situations; to adjust or regulate for harmony or equilibrium
3. Marked by self-control or mild climatic conditions; to calm down or moderate emotional responses; to modify something to reduce harshness or extreme elements

Etymology: "Temperates" is the third-person singular present form of the verb "temperate," so it is the same word as "temperate" with an -s added for "he, she or it." The verb is built on the adjective "temperate," which came into English from Latin "temperatus," the past participle of "temperare," meaning to mix in due proportion, to moderate or to regulate. The Latin verb is the root of the idea of blending things until the mixture is balanced rather than extreme. That sense of proper proportion explains the verb's range of meanings. To temper a substance, such as steel, is to bring it to the right hardness by heating and cooling it, and to temper emotions or circumstances is to bring them into a balanced state. Someone who temperates a harsh judgment softens it, and a climate that temperates extremes keeps heat and cold within moderate limits. The word connects to "temper" in its old sense of a proper mixture, which is also why "temperament" once described the balance of the bodily humours.

Synonyms: moderates, mitigates, softens, calms, tempers

Antonyms: exacerbates, aggravates, intensifies, worsens