modality

American  

[moh-dal-i-tee] / moʊˈdæl ɪ ti /

noun

• modalities
  plural

1. the quality or state of being modal.

2. an attribute or circumstance that denotes mode or manner.

3. Also called mode. Logic. the classification of propositions according to whether they are contingently true or false, possible, impossible, or necessary.

4. Medicine/Medical. the application of a therapeutic agent, usually a physical therapeutic agent.

5. one of the primary forms of sensation, as vision or touch.

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modality British  

/ məʊˈdælɪtɪ /

noun

1. the condition of being modal

2. a quality, attribute, or circumstance that denotes mode, mood, or manner

3. logic the property of a statement of being classified under one of the concepts studied by modal logic, esp necessity or possibility

4. any physical or electrical therapeutic method or agency

5. any of the five senses

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• multimodality
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• modalities
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of modality

From the Medieval Latin word modālitās, dating back to 1610–20. See modal, -ity

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Explanation

A modality is the way or mode in which something exists or is done. You might often see it used with reference to diagnostic modality, which is the way in which a disease or illness is diagnosed by a doctor. Modality shares its root with the word mode, meaning "the way in which something happens or is experienced." A sensory modality is a way of sensing, like vision or hearing. Modality in someone's voice gives a sense of the person's mood. In logic, modality has to do with whether a proposition is necessary, possible, or impossible. In general, a modality is a particular way in which something exists.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

modality modalities

Moderna and Merck’s promising new cancer vaccine signals the arrival of an exciting new treatment modality.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 19, 2026

For now, Anderon’s client base will be limited to quantum-computing firms using the same quantum-computing modality as IBM, although it plans to eventually expand to other modalities based on demand.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 23, 2026

The modality put D-Wave on the map for being markedly different than that of peers, but it’s best suited for optimization tasks.

From Barron's ● Jan. 27, 2026

On Friday, he told journalists: "The Donbas issue is key. It will be discussed as will be the modality of how the three sides see it."

From BBC ● Jan. 23, 2026

The principle of quantity is the Axiom of Intuition, the principle of quality the Anticipation of Perception; the principles of relation are termed Analogies of Experience, those of modality Postulates of Empirical Thought in General.

From History of Modern Philosophy From Nicolas of Cusa to the Present Time by Richard Falckenberg

"Nepal is actually driving us into how the fund is going to look like when it comes to rapid disbursement modalities," said Brenda Mwale, outreach lead at the Loss and Damage Collaboration.

From Barron's ● Oct. 22, 2026

The "modalities and technical details" of the bases are yet to be confirmed, and according to the deal, must be mutually agreed by all parties.

From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2026

Here’s why it matters, how to test your ‘balance IQ’ at home and 3 different modalities to train your balance — no special equipment needed.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2026

For now, Anderon’s client base will be limited to quantum-computing firms using the same quantum-computing modality as IBM, although it plans to eventually expand to other modalities based on demand.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 23, 2026

But we have no experience of a single human activity manifesting in any degree the modalities of the numerous and really distinct human activities which experience reveals to us.

From Ontology or the Theory of Being by Peter Coffey

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