Moderation means avoiding extremes and finding a sensible middle ground. When you eat cookies in moderation, you have a few and enjoy them instead of eating the whole box and feeling sick. When you practice moderation in video games, you play for a reasonable amount of time but still leave time for homework, outdoor play, and other activities.

The word comes from the idea of being moderate, which means not too much and not too little. A moderate temperature isn't freezing cold or blazing hot. Moderate exercise means working hard enough to get stronger but not so hard that you injure yourself.

Sometimes people say “everything in moderation,” which means you can enjoy most things as long as you don't overdo them. This applies to fun activities, food, work, and even serious pursuits. A student who studies in moderation learns effectively without burning out. An athlete who trains in moderation builds strength steadily without exhausting their body.

Moderation requires wisdom and self-control. It means recognizing when enough is enough and knowing that having some of something good is often better than having too much of it. The opposite of moderation is excess, which means going too far in one direction.