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Noun: modulation  ,mó-ju'ley-shun [N. Amer], ,mód-yû'ley-shun [Brit]
  1. The act or process of varying or adjusting something in a controlled way
    "Temperature modulation keeps the system stable"
     
  2. A manner of speaking in which the loudness, pitch or tone of the voice is modified
    "The speaker's skilful modulation kept the audience engaged";
    - inflection
     
  3. Rise and fall of the voice pitch
    "The modulation of his voice indicated surprise";
    - intonation, pitch contour, cadence
     
  4. A musical passage moving from one key to another
    "The composer's skilful modulation smoothly shifted the piece from C major to G major";
    - transition
     
  5. (electronics) the transmission of a signal by using it to vary a carrier wave; changing the carrier's amplitude, frequency or phase
    "FM radio uses frequency modulation to transmit audio signals"

Derived forms: modulations

Type of: alteration, delivery, inflection, manner of speaking, musical passage, passage, prosody, revision, speech, transmission

Encyclopedia: Modulation