moderator

1 of 2

noun (1)

mod·​er·​a·​tor ˈmä-də-ˌrā-tər 

plural moderators

1

: someone who presides over an assembly, meeting, or discussion: such as

a

: the chairperson of a discussion group

b

: a person who administers an online forum, chat room, or group

c

: the nonpartisan presiding officer of a town meeting

d

: the presiding officer of a Presbyterian governing body

2

: one who arbitrates : mediator

3

: a substance (such as graphite) used for slowing neutrons in a nuclear reactor

moderatorship

ˈmä-də-ˌrā-tər-ˌship 

noun

moderatorship

2 of 2

noun (2)

mod·​er·​a·​tor·​ship ˈmä-də-ˌrā-tər-ˌship 

: the position or duties of a moderator

Synonyms of moderator

Noun (1)

• chairperson
• president
• chairman
• presider

Examples of moderator in a Sentence

Noun (1)

The moderator allowed audience members to ask the governor questions.

She acts as the moderator in our office meetings.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Meanwhile, during a Banijay session, the moderator asked about any possible impact on creatives’ work from the company’s recent merger with All3Media. — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 2 Oct. 2026

Signpost, our digital information service, has reached 20 million people navigating the hardest moments of their lives, nearly 591,000 of them through one-to-one guidance from moderators, many displaced themselves. — Jeannie Annan, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2026

Artificial intelligence The moderators asked both candidates whether the state should add more regulations on AI. — Ben Paviour, Sacbee.com, 2 Oct. 2026

Be sure to check out our first two articles in the series, which are about ads in PC monitors and social media’s AI moderators. — Scharon Harding, ArsTechnica, 30 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun (1)

circa 1560, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for moderator

• activator
• actuator
• agitator
• alligator
• allocator
• alternator
• animator
• annotator
• applicator
• arbitrator
• aspirator
• aviator

Kids Definition

moderator

noun

mod·​er·​a·​tor ˈmäd-ə-ˌrāt-ər 

1

: one that moderates: as

a

: the leader of a Presbyterian governing body

b

: the chairperson of a town meeting

c

: the chairperson of a discussion group (as on television)

2

: a substance (as graphite) used for slowing down neutrons in a nuclear reactor

Medical Definition

moderator

noun

mod·​er·​a·​tor ˈmäd-ə-ˌrāt-ər 

: a substance (as graphite, deuterium in heavy water, or beryllium) used for slowing down neutrons in a nuclear reactor