noun

modality

moh-DAL-uh-tee

Modality (noun) means a particular method or way in which something is done or experienced. Example: “The clinic offers several treatment modalities, including physiotherapy and acupuncture.”

noun

A particular method or way in which something is done or experienced.

"The clinic offers several treatment modalities, including physiotherapy and acupuncture."

"Online teaching is now an accepted modality of instruction."

Any of the channels through which the body takes in sensation, such as sight, hearing, touch, taste or smell.

"The experiment tested whether learning transfers across sensory modalities."

In grammar and logic, the expression of possibility, necessity, obligation or permission, typically carried by words such as may, must and should.

"Modal verbs are the main way English marks modality."

How to Use Modality

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA particular way of doing or sensing something.

When to use it

Formal; common in medicine, psychology, education, linguistics and computing.

Memory tip

If you can replace the word with 'type of approach' and the sentence still works, modality is the right choice.

Trace the full origin ↓

Easily confused with

mode → method → modularity

Common pairings

treatment modality imaging modality sensory modality modality of delivery

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Fill the Gap

Can you complete this real example?

Online teaching is now an accepted _____ of instruction.

Etymology

From Medieval Latin modalitas, from Latin modus, meaning 'measure' or 'manner'.

Origin: Latin

Rhymes for modality

city pity deity acuity parity entity brevity opacity paucity ability quality reality

See all rhymes for modality →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between modality and method?

A method is a specific procedure for doing something, while a modality is a broader category or channel that many methods can sit inside. Group therapy is a modality; a particular exercise used in a session is a method.

What does modality mean in medicine?

It usually means a form of treatment or a form of imaging. Physiotherapy, radiotherapy and drug therapy are treatment modalities, and MRI, CT and ultrasound are imaging modalities.

What is multimodal?

Multimodal means involving more than one modality at once. A multimodal AI system, for instance, handles text, images and audio rather than just one type of input.