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

As moderator Maryam Banikarim put it during the panel, Reynolds' early family life involved ups and downs. —Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 26 Nov. 2025

The directors, in the forefront of India’s visual-effects boom, joined moderator Rajiv Chilaka of Green Gold Animation to discuss how technology is reshaping Indian cinema. —Udita Jhunjhunwala, Variety, 25 Nov. 2025

The moderator of the session was Kristen Davis, the former IT and innovation director at the New York Times International, who founded the consultancy CinqC in 2016. —Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 19 Nov. 2025

Still, Colby and Leslie Taylor said Discord also needs to be willing to invest in a bigger army of moderators who can detect harmful content and block malicious actors on its platform. —Mike Levine, ABC News, 18 Nov. 2025

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