multimodal

American  

[muhl-tee-mohd-l, muhl-tahy-] / ˌmʌl tiˈmoʊd l, ˌmʌl taɪ- /

adjective

1. having more than one mode.

2. Statistics. having more than one modal value.

   a multimodal distribution.

3. Transportation. intermodal.

---

Usage

What does multimodal mean? Multimodal means having or using a variety of modes or methods to do something. Multimodal is a general term that can be used in many different contexts. It also has more specific uses in the fields of statistics and transportation. Example: Ms. Johnson used a multimodal approach to teaching English—she relied on slideshows, movies, and student performances to supplement the textbook.

Etymology

Origin of multimodal

First recorded in 1900–05; multi- + modal

Explanation

When you use several different methods to do something, it's multimodal. A multimodal presentation might involve giving a speech while referring to a poster that's illustrated with pictures of your main points. Anything that makes use of more than one technique can be described as multimodal, like your favorite graphic novel, which includes both written text and illustrations. This term shows up a lot in statistics, too, for statistical distributions with several peaks, or "modes." Multimodal comes from the Latin roots multus, "many," and modus, "manner or mode."

Example Sentences

IBM’s reach spans database systems, app developer tools, and other multimodal computing environments that process and analyze several different types of data.

From Barron's • Apr. 10, 2026

Today, IBM’s reach spans database systems, app developer tools, and other multimodal computing environments that process and analyze several different types of data.

From Barron's • Apr. 10, 2026

Developers must decide which algorithm is best suited for a specific task, and that choice is often complicated and time consuming in the fast growing field of multimodal AI.

From Science Daily • Mar. 3, 2026

Solos’s complaint, filed Friday, alleges the defendants infringed on Solos’s patents involving smartglasses, including functions such as multimodal sensing, audio processing, intelligent assistance and integrated-system architectures for real-time user interaction.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 23, 2026

And this is before the next generation of AI models — more capable, multimodal and tightly integrated into enterprise workflows — enters the mainstream.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 6, 2026