modulate
verb /ˈmɒdjəleɪt/
/ˈmɑːdʒəleɪt/
Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they modulate | /ˈmɒdjəleɪt/ /ˈmɑːdʒəleɪt/ |
| he / she / it modulates | /ˈmɒdjəleɪts/ /ˈmɑːdʒəleɪts/ |
| past simple modulated | /ˈmɒdjəleɪtɪd/ /ˈmɑːdʒəleɪtɪd/ |
| past participle modulated | /ˈmɒdjəleɪtɪd/ /ˈmɑːdʒəleɪtɪd/ |
| -ing form modulating | /ˈmɒdjəleɪtɪŋ/ /ˈmɑːdʒəleɪtɪŋ/ |
- [transitive] modulate something (formal) to change the quality of your voice in order to create a particular effect by making it louder, softer, lower, etc.
- [intransitive] modulate (from something) (to/into something) (music) to change from one musical key (= set of notes) to another
- [transitive] modulate something (specialist) to affect something so that it becomes more regular, slower, etc.
- drugs that effectively modulate the disease process
- [transitive] modulate something (specialist) to change the rate at which a sound wave or radio signal vibrates (= the frequency) so that it is clearerTopics TV, radio and newsc2
Word Originmid 16th cent. (in the sense ‘intone a song’): from Latin modulat- ‘measured, made melody’, from the verb modulari, from modulus ‘measure’, diminutive of modus.