modulate

[ moj-uh-leyt ]

/ ˈmɒdʒ əˌleɪt /

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See synonyms for: modulate / modulated on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), mod·u·lat·ed, mod·u·lat·ing.

to regulate by or adjust to a certain measure or proportion; soften; tone down.

to alter or adapt (the voice) according to the circumstances, one's listener, etc.

Music.

to attune to a certain pitch or key.
to vary the volume of (tone).

Telecommunications. to cause the amplitude, frequency, phase, or intensity of (a carrier wave) to vary in accordance with a sound wave or other signal, the frequency of the signal wave usually being very much lower than that of the carrier.

verb (used without object), mod·u·lat·ed, mod·u·lat·ing.

Telecommunications.

to modulate a carrier wave.
Citizens Band Radio Slang. to talk; visit: Enjoyed modulating with you.

Music. to pass from one key to another: to modulate abruptly from A to B flat.

OTHER WORDS FOR modulate

2 temper, control.

See synonyms for modulate on Thesaurus.com

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Origin of modulate

1550–60; <Latin modulātus (past participle of modulārī to regulate (sounds), set to music, play an instrument). See module, -ate¹

OTHER WORDS FROM modulate

mod·u·la·bil·i·ty

[moj-uh-luh-bil-i-tee], /ˌmɒdʒ ə ləˈbɪl ɪ ti/, nounmod·u·la·tive, mod·u·la·to·ry

[moj-uh-luh-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee], /ˈmɒdʒ ə ləˌtɔr i, -ˌtoʊr i/, adjectivere·mod·u·late, verb (used with object), re·mod·u·lat·ed, re·mod·u·lat·ing.un·mod·u·lat·ed, adjective

un·mod·u·la·tive, adjectivewell-mod·u·lat·ed, adjective

Words nearby modulate

Mods, modular, modular arithmetic, modularity, modularize, modulate, modulation, modulator, module, modulo, modulus

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use modulate in a sentence

She had stumbled, it seemed, onto a possible drug candidate capable of modulating the master switch.
The miracle molecule that could treat brain injuries and boost your fading memory|Adam Piore|August 25, 2021|MIT Technology Review
“This paper represents a significant advance in our understanding of how the hippocampus modulates metabolism,” says Elizabeth Gould, a neuroscientist at Princeton University who wasn’t involved in the study.
Ripples in rats’ brains tied to memory may also reduce sugar levels|Laura Sanders|August 11, 2021|Science News
The new finding of an “ignored historical land use emission” suggests that even now, we lack a complete understanding of how the Earth’s land surfaces are driving and modulating the warming of the planet.
An enormous missing contribution to global warming may have been right under our feet|Chris Mooney|June 4, 2021|Washington Post
It’s also easy to modulate—you can take it easy and use a session as a warm-up or go hard and blast yourself.
Rowing Is the New Running|Outside Editors|April 15, 2021|Outside Online

Changes in the cingulate cortex and hippocampus, on the other hand, could allow us to learn how to modulate negative feelings and emotions.
A Quiet Path Out of the Coronavirus Shadow - Issue 98: Mind|Clayton Dalton|March 31, 2021|Nautilus
Some in the Obama orbit hoped that the entry into government would modulate and moderate Islamist goals.
Obama's Foolish Embrace of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood|David Frum|September 13, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Previously, the medical community had known little about how to prevent or modulate this devastating liver disease.
Can Coffee Save Your Life?|Anneli Rufus|October 28, 2011|DAILY BEAST
Also modulate your tones to the pitch of discretion and confidence.
Certain Success|Norval A. Hawkins
Mr. Sylvester's voice, careful as he was to modulate it, showed a secret discouragement.
The Sword of Damocles|Anna Katharine Green
Somewhere in the circuit there seems to be an effect that serves to modulate the incoming signal.
The Egyptian Cat Mystery|Harold Leland Goodwin
Follow the directions for Exercise I. Sing quietly in a pitch that is easy for the voice, and modulate up or down by half steps.
Resonance in Singing and Speaking|Thomas Fillebrown
It began to modulate itself and to express things most voices are incapable of expressing.
The Shuttle|Frances Hodgson Burnett

British Dictionary definitions for modulate

modulate

/ (ˈmɒdjʊˌleɪt) /

verb

(tr) to change the tone, pitch, or volume of

(tr) to adjust or regulate the degree of

music

to subject to or undergo modulation in music
(often foll by to) to make or become in tune (with a pitch, key, etc)

(tr) physics electronics to cause to vary by a process of modulation

Derived forms of modulate

modulability (ˌmɒdjʊləˈbɪlɪtɪ), nounmodulative or modulatory, adjectivemodulator, noun

Word Origin for modulate

C16: from Latin modulātus in due measure, melodious, from modulārī to regulate, from modus measure

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for modulate

modulate

[ mŏj′ə-lāt′ ]

To vary the amplitude, frequency, or some other characteristic of a signal or power source. See also amplitude modulation frequency modulation.

modulate

OTHER WORDS FOR modulate

Origin of modulate

OTHER WORDS FROM modulate

Words nearby modulate

Words related to modulate

How to use modulate in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for modulate

Derived forms of modulate

Word Origin for modulate

Scientific definitions for modulate