adj.
Pronunciation: ' tem-p( ə -)r ə t
Function: adjective
Etymology: Middle English temperat, from Latin temperatus, from past participle of temperare
Date: 14th century
1 : marked by moderation: as a : keeping or held within limits : not extreme or excessive : MILD b : moderate in indulgence of appetite or desire c : moderate in the use of alcoholic beverages d : marked by an absence or avoidance of extravagance, violence, or extreme partisanship
2 a : having a moderate climate which especially lacks extremes in temperature b : found in or associated with a moderate climate < temperate insects>
3 : existing as a prophage in infected cells and rarely causing lysis < temperate bacteriophages>
– tem · per · ate · ly adverb
– tem · per · ate · ness noun