What does "modification" mean?
The act of assessing and prescribing a payment, penalty, price, valuation, etc.
Modification
/ˌmɑdɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/ noun
noun ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The act of assessing and prescribing a payment, penalty, price, valuation, etc.
- Grammar: modification is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: adjustment, alteration, change, a changé.
- Useful contrasts: digests, inflexibility, rigidity.
- Usage evidence: Through genetic modification, we can improve crops.
How to use "modification"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "modification" 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 "modification" 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 "modification" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "modification" 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 "modification" 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 "adjustment" 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 "modification", 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 act of assessing and prescribing a payment, penalty, price, valuation, etc. countable, obsolete, uncountable
"Wherein his highnes commandement is, that a graue, wiſe, ⁊ ſage man, ſhalbe appointed pꝛeſident, who may haue yͤ ouerſight of theſe boũds, ⁊ be anſwerable therefoꝛe to the biſhop, his coũſell ⁊ ſynode, ⁊ he to be reſpected reaſonably foꝛ his paines, at the modification of ſtipends: […]"
- 2 the act of making something different (as e.g. the size of a garment) wordnet
- 3 The form of existence belonging to a particular object, entity etc.; a mode of being. countable, obsolete, uncountable
"Pleasure is the business of woman's life, according to the present modification of society […]"
- 4 slightly modified copy; not an exact copy wordnet
- 5 The change undergone by a word when used in a construction. countable, uncountable
Show 6 more definitions
- 6 an event that occurs when something passes from one state or phase to another wordnet
- 7 The result of modifying something; a new or changed form. countable, uncountable
- 8 the grammatical relation that exists when a word qualifies the meaning of the phrase wordnet
- 9 The act of making a change to something while keeping its essential character intact; an alteration or adjustment. countable, uncountable
"behavior modification officer"
- 10 A change to an organism as a result of its environment that is not transmissable to offspring. countable, uncountable
"Due to his sunbathing, Jim's body experienced modifications: he got a tan."
- 11 A change to a word when it is borrowed by another language. countable, uncountable
"The Chinese word kòutóu had a modification made to become the English kowtow."
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"Through genetic modification, we can improve crops."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "modification"?
Common synonyms include: adjustment, alteration, change, a changé, about face, about-face.
How do you use "modification" in a sentence?
Through genetic modification, we can improve crops.
How do you pronounce "modification"?
Pronounced /ˌmɑdɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/.
Etymology
From Middle English modificatioune, from Middle French modification and its etymon Latin modificātiō (“a measuring”), from modificāre (“to limit, control, modify”); see modify. By surface analysis, modify + -ication.