modulation

UK: /ˌmɒdʒʊˈleɪʃ^ən/

US: /ˌmɑdʒəˈleɪʃən/

US: (moj′ə lā′shən, mod′yə-)

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

mod•u•la•tion  (moj′ə lā′shən, mod′yə-), n. 

1. the act of modulating.
2. the state of being modulated.
3. Music and Dance transition from one key to another.
4. Phonetics, Linguistics [Gram.]
   • 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?
   • the feature of a construction resulting from such use.

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

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

modulation / ˌmɒdjʊˈleɪʃən/ noun

1. the act of modulating or the condition of being modulated
2. the transition from one key to another
3. another word for intonation1
4. the grammatical expression of modality
5. 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
6. the variation of the modulated signal

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

mod•u•late /ˈmɑdʒəˌleɪt/   v. [~ + object] , -lat•ed, -lat•ing. 

1. to regulate by a certain measure or amount
2. to alter (the voice) according to the situation, one's listener, etc.:
   modulated his voice instantly when he realized that his boss was listening.

mod•u•la•tion /ˌmɑdʒəˈleɪʃən/  n. [uncountable]
mod•u•la•tor, n. [countable]

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

mod•u•late  (moj′ə lāt′), v., -lat•ed, -lat•ing. 
v.t. 

1. to regulate by or adjust to a certain measure or proportion; soften;
   tone down.
2. to alter or adapt (the voice) according to the circumstances, one's listener, etc.
3. Music and Dance
   • to attune to a certain pitch or key.
   • to vary the volume of (tone).
4. 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.

v.i. 

5. Telecommunications
   • to modulate a carrier wave.
   • Show Business [CB Slang.] to talk;
     visit:
     Enjoyed modulating with you.
6. Music and Dance to pass from one key to another:
   to modulate abruptly from A to B flat.

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

mod•u•la•bil•i•ty  (moj′ə lə bil′i tē), n.  mod′u•la′tive, mod•u•la•to•ry  (moj′ə lə tôr′ē, -tōr′ē), adj.  Synonyms

• 2. temper, control.