Temperate

How to spell temperate

9 letters · 3 syllables

How to pronounce temperate

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does temperate mean?

1. adjectiveOf weather or climate, mild and moderate, without extremes of heat or cold.
2. adjectiveShowing moderation and self-restraint, especially in behaviour, speech, or consumption.

Temperate in a sentence

• The region enjoys a temperate climate, ideal for growing fruit.

• She gave a calm, temperate response even when the meeting grew heated.

• Spring brings temperate days that are neither freezing nor sweltering.

• His temperate habits kept his spending well within budget.

Where does temperate come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word comes from the Latin temperatus, the past participle of the verb temperare, which meant 'to moderate, to mix in the right proportion, or to restrain'. The same temperare root gives us 'temper' (both the verb for moderating something and the noun for one's emotional balance) and 'temperature', because all of these ideas turn on keeping things in proportion. English took temperate in during the late fourteenth century, first to describe a person who was moderate and self-controlled, and soon afterwards to describe a climate that was neither very hot nor very cold. The spelling keeps the full Latin '-ate' ending, but in speech the final syllable collapses to a faint schwa, which is exactly why the trailing letters are easy to fumble. Keeping the parent word 'temper' in mind helps anchor the first half of the spelling.

How the word is built

• temper- (from Latin temperare: to moderate, mix in proportion)
• -ate (adjective suffix)