Word
modality
Phoneticsmodal·i·ty
US/məˈdæɫəti/
UK/məʊdˈælɪti/
Definition
n. a way of doing or expressing something, especially one that is different from the usual way. In grammar, it describes how certain words like 'can' or 'must' show possibility or necessity.
n. a particular way of doing or expressing something, especially one that is distinct from others. In linguistic contexts, it refers to the category of auxiliary verbs that express necessity, possibility, or permission.
Examples
“The teacher explained the different modalities of the exam.”
“The hospital offers several modalities of treatment, including surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy, depending on the patient's specific needs.”
“While the primary mode of communication was verbal, the speaker used various modalities, such as hand gestures and facial expressions, to emphasize the gravity of the situation.”
Examples
simple
“The teacher explained the different modalities of the exam.”
contextual
“The hospital offers several modalities of treatment, including surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy, depending on the patient's specific needs.”
complex
“While the primary mode of communication was verbal, the speaker used various modalities, such as hand gestures and facial expressions, to emphasize the gravity of the situation.”
Real-World Examples
“The 'baby botox' modality, which consists of applying lighter and preventive doses in young patients, usually costs around €300.” “If you’re using it for recovery, sleep and nutrition are your best recovery modalities.” “I can say, as an engineering professor, that the advent of calculators and laptops forced us to rethink how we did certain assessment modalities for engineering students.” Etymology
From French modalité.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
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Scan code
englishreference.com/q/modality