modulation

American  

[moj-uh-ley-shuhn, mod-yuh-] / ˌmɒdʒ əˈleɪ ʃən, ˌmɒd yə- /

noun

1. the act of modulating.

2. the state of being modulated.

3. Music. transition from one key to another.

4. Grammar.

   1. the use of a particular distribution of stress or pitch in a construction, as the use of rising pitch on here in John is here?

   2. the feature of a construction resulting from such use.

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modulation British  

/ ˌmɒdjʊˈleɪʃən /

noun

1. the act of modulating or the condition of being modulated

2. music the transition from one key to another

3. grammar

   1. another word for intonation

   2. the grammatical expression of modality

4. electrical engineering

   1. the act or process of superimposing the amplitude, frequency, phase, etc, of a wave or signal onto another wave (the carrier wave) or signal or onto an electron beam See also amplitude modulation frequency modulation phase modulation velocity modulation

   2. the variation of the modulated signal

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Etymology

Origin of modulation

1350–1400; Middle English < Latin modulātiōn- (stem of modulātiō ) rhythmical measure. See modulate, -ion

Explanation

Modulation is when you control or adjust something, like when you lower your voice to a loud whisper in order to make what you're saying more dramatic and mysterious. The noun modulation has several meanings, including a change of key in music or of the sound of a person's voice. It almost always involves some kind of deliberate modification or slight change, like an actor adjusting his pitch or volume depending on the role he's playing or the mood of the scene. The Latin root, modulationem, has a musical meaning: "rhythm, singing and playing, or melody."

Example Sentences

Here’s to a lifetime of dopamine modulation, I guess.

From Slate • Feb. 8, 2026

The turbos also allow precise modulation of intake pressures for improved combustion efficiency.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 30, 2025

Yet the production is so entrancing that the occasional lack of modulation by the performers hardly matters.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 21, 2025

The team's pioneering approach also integrates broadband, high-frequency modulation of the OPO output, which allows the enhancement of the signal-to-noise ratio, providing even greater detection precision.

From Science Daily • Nov. 18, 2024

In most styles of music, modulation is accomplished gradually, using a progression of chords that seems to move naturally towards the new key.

From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones