modality

American  

[moh-dal-i-tee] / moʊˈdæl ɪ ti /

noun

plural

modalities

1. the quality or state of being modal.

2. an attribute or circumstance that denotes mode or manner.

3. Also called mode.  Logic. the classification of propositions according to whether they are contingently true or false, possible, impossible, or necessary.

4. Medicine/Medical. the application of a therapeutic agent, usually a physical therapeutic agent.

5. one of the primary forms of sensation, as vision or touch.

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modality British  

/ məʊˈdælɪtɪ /

noun

1. the condition of being modal

2. a quality, attribute, or circumstance that denotes mode, mood, or manner

3. logic the property of a statement of being classified under one of the concepts studied by modal logic, esp necessity or possibility

4. any physical or electrical therapeutic method or agency

5. any of the five senses

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Other Word Forms

• multimodality noun

Etymology

Origin of modality

From the Medieval Latin word modālitās, dating back to 1610–20. See modal, -ity

Explanation

A modality is the way or mode in which something exists or is done. You might often see it used with reference to diagnostic modality, which is the way in which a disease or illness is diagnosed by a doctor. Modality shares its root with the word mode, meaning "the way in which something happens or is experienced." A sensory modality is a way of sensing, like vision or hearing. Modality in someone's voice gives a sense of the person's mood. In logic, modality has to do with whether a proposition is necessary, possible, or impossible. In general, a modality is a particular way in which something exists.

Example Sentences

While not affiliated with any specific modality, the sound bath inside the Atwater Village branch of Mattress Central has a cult-like following.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, the lone dissenter, frames Colorado’s law as prohibiting merely “a dangerous therapy modality that, incidentally, involves provider speech.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026

The modality put D-Wave on the map for being markedly different than that of peers, but it’s best suited for optimization tasks.

From Barron's • Jan. 27, 2026

On Friday, he told journalists: "The Donbas issue is key. It will be discussed as will be the modality of how the three sides see it."

From BBC • Jan. 23, 2026

The modality may be treated as part of the predicate without in any way obscuring what it is the design of the syllogism to make clear.

From Logic, Inductive and Deductive by Minto, William