English Reference
Verb

modulate

v.
C1 Advanced US /ˈmɔdʒjuɫeɪt/ UK /mˈɒdjʊlˌeɪt/ mod·u·late UK spelling modulated, modulates, modulating Electronics Music

v.to change the way you speak or sing to make it more interesting. In electronics, it means changing a signal to carry information.

v.to vary the pitch, tone, or volume of a voice or musical instrument; in electronics, to impress a signal onto a carrier wave. Often used in the context of communication or signal processing.


SIMPLE

The singer learned to modulate her voice to sound more emotional.

CONTEXTUAL

The technician had to modulate the radio signal to ensure the data could be transmitted over long distances without interference.

COMPLEX

By modulating the intensity of the light source, the researchers were able to create a series of pulses that corresponded to the binary code of the transmitted data.

It’s not till the fourth or fifth performance that he modulates the delivery of the lyrics, putting a suddenly funny spin on the singer’s relationship to the story the song tells.

The Guardian· 17 Aug 2026

In this approach, the researchers gently shook the entire chain by modulating the lasers at a chosen frequency, then measured how strongly the atoms responded.

Phys.org· 19 Aug 2026

From Latin modulor (“to measure, regulate, modulate”) + -ate (verb-forming suffix), from modulus (“measure”); see modulus. Compare module. By surface analysis, modul(e) + -ate.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Level C1 · Advanced
Frequency Occasional
Updated