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

The study is part of the Thematic Project "Modulation of acquired pellicle to control dental mineral loss: unveiling mechanisms to make therapies possible," coordinated by Professor Marília Afonso Rabelo Buzalaf at FOB-USP.

From Science Daily • Apr. 5, 2026

A paper based on the study, "Redox Gating for Colossal Carrier Modulation and Unique Phase Control," appeared in the Jan. 6, 2024 issue of Advanced Materials.

From Science Daily • Mar. 13, 2024

You may disagree with me on their politics but I think we can find common ground in saying Ivanka Trump doesn’t have a lot to say about Contrast Modulation as a method for counting pixels.

From The Verge • Jan. 5, 2020

In the past fortnight the Federal Communications Commission has handed down two momentous decisions, one releasing Frequency Modulation broadcasting from the confines of experiment, the other locking television tight within it.

From Time Magazine Archive

Before it is possible to follow intelligently the structure of a musical sentence we must gain a clear idea of what is meant by the frequently used terms Tonality and Modulation.

From Music: An Art and a Language by Spalding, Walter Raymond