moderator

noun

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

Synonyms of moderator

• chairperson
• president
• chairman
• presider

Examples of moderator in a Sentence

The moderator allowed audience members to ask the governor questions.

She acts as the moderator in our office meetings.

Recent Examples on the Web

Every workflow my team runs has a human moderator who's directing it, checking it and catching the confident mistakes the model makes. — Rafael Moiseev, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026

Some of the speculation comes from state workers who are unhappy with the governor’s decision, the moderator said, but the subreddit’s activity also attracts outside agitators who are obviously not government employees. — William Melhado, Sacbee.com, 21 July 2026

By entering, participants agree to abide by these Official Participation Rules & Terms as well as all Discord Community Guidelines and Discord rules established by The Athletic and Podcast moderators. — The Athletic, New York Times, 20 July 2026

Unsurprisingly, a moderator for these town halls, American Economic Liberties Project senior advisor Alvaro Bedoya, cheered on the legal challenges. — Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 13 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

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