What does "modality" mean?
The fact of being modal.
Modality
noun
noun ·4 syllables ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The fact of being modal.
- Grammar: modality is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: mood, aesthetic form, approach, archetype.
- Useful contrasts: certainty, chaos, disorganization.
- Usage evidence: Raumschach (in German, "space chess") is a modality of chess invented in 1907 by Ferdinand Maack. It adds a third dimension to the board.
How to use "modality"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "modality" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "modality" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "modality" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "modality" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "modality" is acting as noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "mood" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "modality", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The fact of being modal. countable, uncountable
- 2 a method of therapy that involves physical or electrical therapeutic treatment wordnet
- 3 The classification of propositions on the basis on whether they claim possibility, impossibility, contingency or necessity; mode. countable, uncountable
- 4 a particular sense wordnet
- 5 The inflection of a verb that shows how its action is conceived by the speaker. countable, uncountable
Show 10 more definitions
- 6 verb inflections that express how the action or state is conceived by the speaker wordnet
- 7 A method of diagnosis or therapy. countable, uncountable
"If a port-wine stain has been treated with another modality, such as the argon, CO2, or KTP laser, electrocautery, radiation, or tattooing, FPDL treatment may provide less lightening and improvement."
- 8 a classification of propositions on the basis of whether they claim necessity or possibility or impossibility wordnet
- 9 Any of the senses (such as sight or taste) countable, uncountable
- 10 A particular way in which the information is to be encoded for presentation to humans, i.e. to the type of sign and to the status of reality ascribed to or claimed by a sign, text or genre. countable, uncountable
- 11 The organization and structure of the church, as distinct from sodality or parachurch organizations. countable, uncountable
- 12 The subject concerning certain diatonic scales known as musical modes. countable, uncountable
- 13 The way in which infrastructure and knowledge of how to use it give rise to a meaningful pattern of interaction (a concept in Anthony Giddens's structuration theory). countable, uncountable
"Thus, the University budgeting system can be seen not only as modality in the reproduction of social structures, but also as an important means of meeting deeply rooted psychological needs for ontological security."
- 14 The quality of being limited by a condition. countable, uncountable
- 15 That whether a zodiac sign is cardinal, fixed or mutable countable, uncountable
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"Raumschach (in German, "space chess") is a modality of chess invented in 1907 by Ferdinand Maack. It adds a third dimension to the board."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "modality"?
Common synonyms include: mood, aesthetic form, approach, archetype, art form, bearings.
How do you use "modality" in a sentence?
Raumschach (in German, "space chess") is a modality of chess invented in 1907 by Ferdinand Maack. It adds a third dimension to the board.
Etymology
From French modalité.