modulation

Meaning

1. (uncountable) Modification or regulation of something to achieve an appropriate measure or proportion; (countable) an instance of this.
2. (uncountable) Modification or regulation of something to achieve an appropriate measure or proportion; (countable) an instance of this.
3. (uncountable) Modification or regulation of something to achieve an appropriate measure or proportion; (countable) an instance of this.
4. (uncountable) Modification or regulation of something to achieve an appropriate measure or proportion; (countable) an instance of this.
5. (uncountable) Modification or regulation of something to achieve an appropriate measure or proportion; (countable) an instance of this.
6. (uncountable) Modification or regulation of something to achieve an appropriate measure or proportion; (countable) an instance of this.
7. (uncountable) Modification or regulation of something to achieve an appropriate measure or proportion; (countable) an instance of this.
8. (uncountable) Changing of a thing from one form to another; (countable) an instance of this.
9. (obsolete, uncountable) Harmonious use of language in poetry or prose.
10. (obsolete, rare, uncountable) Modification of the parts of a classical Greek or Roman building to achieve appropriate proportions by measuring in modules (“standard units of measure, usually the diameter or radius of a column at the base of a shaft”).
11. (countable, obsolete) Any of the musical notes in ecclesiastical modes of music on which a melodic phrase had to begin and end.
12. (obsolete, uncountable) Arrangement or composition, or performance, of music in a certain key or mode; also (countable) a series of musical notes, chord, or tune analyzed according to a key or mode.
13. (obsolete, uncountable) Making music or singing; (countable) a melody, a tune; also (chiefly in the plural), a musical note.

Synonyms

intonation

inflection

accent

tune

transition

pitch contour

tone

configuration

conformation

conversion

delta modulation

enunciation

fitting

formation

inflexion

modulate

molding

moulding

pitch

pronunciation

propitiation

transduction

transformation

transposition

raising and lowering

praising and blaming

changing key

translation

unitisation

adjustment

amplitude

amplitude modulation

arranging

balancing

chunking

Translations

Modulation

modulación

modulation

modulazione

modulació

modulatie

stembuiging

Regulierung

inflexion

Einstellung

intonation

regolazione

Anpassung

διαμόρφωση

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈmɑː.d͡ʒə.ˌleɪ.ʃən/

Etymology

From Late Middle English modulacion, modulacioun (“act of making music or singing; harmony; melody, song”), from Middle French modulation (modern French modulation), and directly from its etymon Latin modulātiō (“regular or rhythmical measure, modulation; inflection of tone; (architecture) calculation of measurements from a standard unit; (Late Latin) act of making music or singing; melody, song”), from modulātus (“modulated”) + -iō (suffix forming abstract nouns from verbs). Modulātus is a perfect participle of modulor (“to beat time; to make music or sing; to measure; etc.”), from modulus (“rhythmical measure, interval; rhythm; small interval or measure, etc.”) + -or (suffix forming certain inflections of verbs); and modulus is from modus (“measure; method; etc.”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *med- (“to measure; etc.”)) + -ulus (diminutive suffix). By surface analysis, modulat(e) + -ion (suffix denoting an action or process, or its result).