temperate
gb/tˈɛmpɚɪt/ us/tˈɛmpɚɪt/
B2
Anglais
~ 8300
Sens
0 sens
adjective
B2
property
1
having mild, not extreme climate
Having weather that is not very hot or very cold, but usually mild.
Schéma d’usage :
temperate [climate/zone/region/weather]
Erreur fréquente :
Learners sometimes confuse "temperate" with "temperature" and try to say *"The temperature is temperate"*. Instead, use "The climate is temperate" or "The weather is mild." It is also not used for a single hot or cold day; it describes the general climate or usual weather.
Synonymes
mild (More general and common; can describe weather, tastes, or behavior, not just climate zones.)
|
moderate (Similar idea of not extreme, but used more broadly for amounts or opinions as well as weather.)
Antonymes
extreme (Describes climates or conditions with very high or very low temperatures or other severe features.)
|
tropical (Refers specifically to hot, often humid regions near the equator, contrasting with temperate areas.)
Collocations
temperate climate
|temperate zone
|temperate regions
|temperate forests
|temperate waters
|temperate grasslands
Thèmes
nature
|geography
|science
|weather
Exemples
- Winters in this temperate climate are usually wet but not very cold.
- Many people move to coastal cities for their temperate weather all year round.
- These plants grow best in temperate regions with plenty of rainfall.
- The island lies in a temperate zone and rarely sees snow.
- Temperate forests cover large areas of Europe and North America.
Exemples pédagogiques
- The city has a temperate climate with warm summers and cool winters.
- I like living in a temperate country where it is never very hot or very cold.
- These trees need a temperate area to grow well.
- Penguins in temperate zones live in cooler, but not freezing, water.
adjective
formal
C1
property
2
showing moderation and self-control
Acting in a calm, controlled way and not going to extremes with your feelings or actions.
Schéma d’usage :
temperate [response/approach/language]; temperate in [something]
Erreur fréquente :
Learners sometimes confuse "temperate" with "temperamental" and say things like *"He is very temperate"* when they mean someone changes mood quickly. "Temperate" means controlled and moderate; "temperamental" means someone’s mood changes a lot.
Synonymes
moderate (Very close in meaning; slightly more common and less formal in everyday use.)
|
restrained (Emphasizes held-back emotions or actions; can sound a bit more critical or stiff.)
Antonymes
extreme (Describes views or actions that go very far in one direction, without moderation.)
|
hot-headed (Informal; describes someone who reacts quickly and angrily, without self-control.)
Collocations
a temperate response
|temperate language
|a temperate approach
|temperate tone
|temperate in his criticism
|temperate in her demands
Thèmes
behavior
|emotions
|society
|core_vocabulary
Exemples
- Despite the harsh accusations, she gave a temperate reply and avoided further conflict.
- The editor called for more temperate language in the public debate.
- He is known for his temperate approach to politics, preferring compromise over confrontation.
- The judge’s temperate remarks helped calm the crowded courtroom.
- Investors welcomed the CEO’s temperate assessment of the company’s future.
Exemples pédagogiques
- He stayed temperate and did not shout during the argument.
- Her temperate answer helped stop the fight.
- The teacher used temperate words when she spoke about the problem.
- We need a temperate voice, not angry voices, in this discussion.
adjective
formal
C1
property
3
moderate or restrained in drinking
Drinking no alcohol, or only a small amount, in a careful and controlled way.
Schéma d’usage :
temperate in [his/her/their] drinking; a temperate lifestyle
Erreur fréquente :
Learners sometimes think "temperate" means "temporary" and say *"I am temperate drunk"* to mean drunk for a short time. This is incorrect. "Temperate" here is about not drinking much; to say the state is short, use words like "for a short time" or "only tonight."
Synonymes
abstinent (Often stronger; suggests not using alcohol (or other things) at all, sometimes for religious or moral reasons.)
|
moderate (Very common; can describe controlled drinking without the slightly moral or formal tone of "temperate".)
Antonymes
heavy-drinking (Describes someone who regularly drinks a lot of alcohol.)
|
intemperate (Formal; means lacking self-control, especially with alcohol or other physical pleasures.)
Collocations
temperate in his drinking
|temperate in her habits
|a temperate lifestyle
|temperate habits
|a temperate drinker
Thèmes
health
|behavior
|society
|daily_life
Exemples
- After years of excess, he adopted a more temperate lifestyle and cut back on alcohol.
- Her father was known as a temperate drinker who rarely had more than one glass of wine.
- The doctor advised him to be temperate in his drinking to protect his liver.
- Members of the group are expected to lead temperate lives and avoid public drunkenness.
- He prided himself on his temperate habits, refusing strong drinks at business dinners.
Exemples pédagogiques
- He is temperate in his drinking and stops after one beer.
- She decided to live a more temperate life and drink less alcohol.
- The doctor told him to be temperate with wine.
- People in this club must be temperate and not get drunk.
adjective
technical
C2
property
4
virus or phage not immediately lytic
In biology, describing a virus that can live quietly inside a cell for some time and does not destroy it right away.
Schéma d’usage :
temperate [phage/bacteriophage/virus]
Erreur fréquente :
Students may wrongly assume "temperate" has the same meaning here as in "temperate climate" or "temperate person". In microbiology, it has a special technical meaning only for certain viruses and phages.
Synonymes
lysogenic (Technical; focuses on the type of viral life cycle where the virus DNA is integrated into the host genome.)
Antonymes
lytic (Technical; describes viruses or phages that immediately replicate and burst the host cell.)
Collocations
temperate phage
|temperate bacteriophage
|temperate virus
|temperate infection
Thèmes
science
|medicine
Exemples
- A temperate phage can enter a lysogenic cycle and persist in the bacterial genome.
- Researchers compared the behavior of temperate and lytic phages under different conditions.
- This temperate virus remains dormant until the host cell is stressed.
Exemples pédagogiques
- A temperate phage does not kill the cell right away.
- In a temperate virus, the viral DNA can stay inside the cell for a long time.
- Students learned that a temperate phage can be quiet in the cell before it becomes active.
Grammaire
Forme canonique
temperate
API
GB/tˈɛmpɚɪt/
US/tˈɛmpɚɪt/
Syllabes et accentuation
tem - per - ate (3 syllabes)
Stress on 1st syllable (tem)
Formes du mot
Adjective
- Base: temperate
Famille de mots
Core family
temperately
adverb
temperance
noun C1
Related words
temper
verb B1
Negative and opposite forms
intemperate
adjective
intemperance
noun
Advanced or less common
intemperately
adverb
Expressions
temperate zone
1/tˈɛmpɚɪt zˈoʊn/
fixed phrase
technical
Earth region with mild climate
A large part of the Earth between the hot tropics and the cold polar areas, where the climate is usually mild.
Exemples
- Most of Europe lies in the temperate zone.
- Many people prefer to live in the temperate zones because the weather is not too hot or too cold.