On Facebook a friend jokingly told me I’m “a very moderate conservative liberal.”

That prompted me to think about the word “moderate.”

As an adjective it can mean “not extreme, excessive, or intense.” As a noun it can mean “a person opposed to extreme views and actions, especially in politics or religion.” As a verb it can mean “to become less violent, severe, intense, or rigorous” or “to act as moderator; preside.”