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.

---

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

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• multimodality
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• modalities
  plural

Etymology

Origin of modality

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

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

In an interview with Barron’s last month, Jensen argued that the company could become a commercial leader if its signature trapped-ion modality proved to be the most viable technology.

From Barron's ● Jun. 29, 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

Smart glasses are gaining traction as "that next modality" to follow the success of the smartphone, she added.

From BBC ● May 19, 2026

However, D-Wave has long concentrated on a specific modality called annealing quantum computing, and only recently announced its return to gate-based quantum, the approach favored by peers like IonQ and International Business Machines.

From Barron's ● Jan. 7, 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 Falckenberg, Richard

"We will be working on the modalities - dates, procedures, places - very soon."

From BBC ● Jun. 24, 2026

Given that multiple quantum modalities could co-exist in the future, “suppliers with exposure to multiple modalities could present more diversified risk profiles,” the firm wrote.

From Barron's ● May 6, 2026

AI deepfakes have been rapidly improving in accuracy and modalities, allowing hackers to easily create large volumes of highly personalized scams with just a few prompts.

From MarketWatch ● Apr. 18, 2026

Among all the different modalities, “There’s an entire zoo of benchmarks” for judging whose computer is best, said Jerry Chow, IBM’s chief technology officer of Quantum-Centric Supercomputing.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 17, 2026

To sum up, the modalities of matter are supplied by the feminine germ.

From Reincarnation A Study in Human Evolution by Rothwell, Fred