Noun

(en noun)

Mental or emotional strength that enables courage in the face of adversity.

* 1612 , , King Henry VIII , act 3, sc. 2:

. . . I am able now, methinks,

Out of a fortitude of soul I feel,

To endure more miseries.

* , ch. 1:

I shall soon have need for all my fortitude , as I am on the point of separation from my own daughter.

* 1906 , , The Mirror of the Sea , ch. 21:

She may be saved by your efforts, by your resource and fortitude bearing up against the heavy weight of guilt and failure.

* 2012 Jan. 30, , " The Strategist," Time :

Mitt Romney . . . charges that Obama is an appeaser who apologizes for America, lacks fortitude and is "tentative, indecisive, timid and nuanced."

(archaic) Physical strength.

* 1604 , , Othello , act 1, sc. 3:

DUKE OF VENICE: The Turk with a most mighty preparation makes for

Cyprus. Othello, the fortitude of the place is best

known to you.

Noun

The state or quality of being moderate; avoidance of extremes

* {{quote-book

, passage=...It regulates and governs the Passions of the Mind, and brings them into due moderation and frame... , page=17 , title=An Account of the Growth of Deism in England , author=William Stephens , year=1696}}

* 1772 , , [http://books.google.com/books?id=twVuAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA394]:

Mr. Chairman, at this moment I stand astonished at my own moderation !

* 1821 October 12, , [http://books.google.com/books?id=5q4XBa5jsy8C&pg=PA7]:

America is a model of force and freedom and moderation - with all the coarseness and rudeness of its people.

An instance of moderating: bringing something away from extremes, especially in a beneficial way

* {{quote-news, year=1936, date=March, work=The Southern Lumberman citation

, passage=With the quick moderation of the weather some buying has appeared that had been held up because of the extremely cold weather

The process of moderating a discussion

The moderation of a large online forum can be hard work.