modem

American  

[moh-duhm, -dem] / ˈmoʊ dəm, -dɛm /

noun

• modems
  plural

1. an electronic device that makes possible the transmission of data to or from a computer via telephone or other communication lines.

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verb (used with object)

1. to send or receive (information, data, or the like) via a modem.

modem British  

/ ˈməʊdɛm /

noun

1. computing a device for connecting two computers by a telephone line, consisting of a modulator that converts computer signals into audio signals and a corresponding demodulator

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modem Scientific  

/ mō′dəm /

1. A device for transmitting and receiving digital data over telephone wires. Modems send data by converting it into audio signals and receive it by converting audio signals back into digital form. The speed at which modems transmit data is measured in bps (bits per second).

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modem Cultural  

1. A device that links a personal computer to a telephone line, so that the computer can receive information from other computers.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• modems
  plural

Etymology

Origin of modem

mo(dulator) - dem(odulator)

Explanation

Simply put, a modem is an electronic device that changes a digital computer signal to audio so it can be carried on telephone lines. It also changes an incoming signal back so it can be read on the computer. Although a form of modem was used as early as 1940 to connect teletype machines to telephones, the word appeared with growing use in 1958, taken from its function as a "modulator" and "demodulator" of sound signals, changing them from audio to digital and back again. This is critical in computer use. Since its inception, modem speeds, measured in bits per second, or bps, have increased dramatically, from the early 300 bps to scorching speeds of USB wireless modems.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

modem modems

The chip company produces modem systems for iPhones, but Apple is now producing its own modems, with more advanced systems potentially on the way.

From Barron's ● Apr. 27, 2026

With Qualcomm specifically, investors have also worried that the company was losing business with modem customers Apple and Samsung Electronics.

From MarketWatch ● Apr. 27, 2026

For Comcast customers who lease an Advanced Xfinity Gateway modem, there’s an integrated Wi-Fi motion sensor.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 21, 2026

Also, it’s easy to forget that your Wi-Fi router is plugged into a modem, usually in some far corner of the house.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 1, 2026

This 'dining hall' where I now sit, however, is a modem annexe built to adjoin the main building - a long, flat room characterized by rows of large windows on either side.

From "The Remains of the Day" by Kazuo Ishiguro

But Apple has been weaning itself off Qualcomm, replacing it with its homegrown modems.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 16, 2026

Cars were coming along with more computers and modems, and controlled by software that could be updated over the air.

From Barron's ● Apr. 15, 2026

The actual road that led Redick to the Lakers has been lined with coaxial cables, modems and Wi-Fi signals, and is painfully and, at times, beautifully structureless.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 30, 2024

That, plus subsequent cases, eventually would help popularize the internet — jacking early modems into the telephone system — and the legal breakup of the AT&T/Bell monopoly.

From Seattle Times ● Jan. 26, 2024

Looking back, what enabled Netscape to take off was the existence, from the earlier phase, of millions of PCs, many already equipped with modems.

From "The World Is Flat" by Thomas L. Friedman

Related Words

• disk drive
• hardware
• personal computer
• supercomputer