Temperate means having mild weather with four clear seasons. A temperate climate, the temperate zone, temperate forest.
The temperate zones lie between the tropics and the polar circles, and most of the world's population and farming sit in them. Of a person, temperate means moderate and self-restrained, especially about drink — which is the older sense and the one in temperance. Note that the Latin means moderated.
1adjectivetemperateHaving mild weather with four clear seasons.
“Britain has a temperate climate, with mild summers and cool, wet winters.”
2adjectivemoderateModerate and self-restrained.
“He was a temperate man who rarely drank and never raised his voice.”
temperate is a quality of mildness.
Latin temperatus comes from temperare, to moderate or mix properly. Temper, temperature and tamper come from the same moderating.
Latin
temperātus
English, today
temperate
Built from
The adjective is 1380, in Middle English, the verb in 1540; Latin temperātus, perfect passive participle of temperō (“to moderate, forbear, combine properly”), see -ate and -ate. See temper. Displaced native ġemetegod.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA