mo·dal·i·ty

[moh-dal-i-tee]
noun, plural mo·dal·i·ties.
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.

Origin:
1610–20; < Medieval Latin modālitās. See modal, -ity

mul·ti·mo·dal·i·ty, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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00:10
Modality is always a great word to know.
So is bezoar. Does it mean:
a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison.
a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes.
Collins
World English Dictionary
modality (məʊˈdælɪtɪ) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
n , pl -ties
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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

modality
1610s, from M.L. modalitas, from modalis (see modal). Related: Modalities.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary

modality mo·dal·i·ty (mō-dāl'ĭ-tē)
n.

  1. A therapeutic method or agent, such as surgery, chemotherapy, or electrotherapy, that involves the physical treatment of a disorder.

  2. Any of the various types of sensation, such as vision or hearing.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia

modality

in logic, the classification of logical propositions according to their asserting or denying the possibility, impossibility, contingency, or necessity of their content. Modal logic, which studies the logical features of such concepts, originated with Aristotle, was extensively studied by logicians in antiquity and the European Middle Ages, and, for the most part, was neglected after the Renaissance until revived in modern mathematical logic. The basic statement on this subject, presupposed in most contemporary discussions, is by C.I. Lewis and Cooper Harold Langford in Symbolic Logic (1932), which develops a modal system of "strict implication" for interpreting the logical force of "if . . . then."

Learn more about modality with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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Example sentences
It was kind of fun being at a conference where that was the primary modality
  recently.
Traditional academe must respond to this new instructional modality by
  something other than complete rejection.
Eye-tracking is yet another modality to test determined behaviors.
Don't do it unless you have another helping or healing modality.
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