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MODULATION
Definition of MODULATION
noun
Modification or regulation of something to achieve an appropriate measure or proportion; an instance of this. Variation (especially softening or toning down) of brightness, form, etc.; an instance of this. Variation in the activity or form of a cell in response to changes in the environment; an instance of this. Chiefly preceded by a descriptive word: modification of an electromagnetic wave or other oscillating carrier wave to apply a signal to it; an instance of this; also, the extent to which such a wave is modified; and the modified wave or signal. Variation of the intensity, pitch, and tone of the sound of a musical instrument or voice; inflection; an instance of this. Changing of the key in a piece of music; also, the effect achieved by this as an element of harmony; an instance of this. The quality of a typeface of having contrasting, thick and thin parts of the strokes; stroke-width variation.
Wiktionary · CC BY-SA
Where it comes from
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).
Etymology via Wiktionary (CC BY-SA).
Word DNA
Line of descent
4 recorded generations before English.
Deepest traced root
2nd
of 59 source languages in OUTLIER
14.2%
of traced words share this origin (11,787)
How it is built
Same root, MODULATION · 1 relative in the game
Every Proto-Indo-European word → · The Word DNA of OUTLIER →
OUTLIER scores every word on how unusual it is, and that number is not published. Working it out at the board is the game.
MODULATION in OUTLIER
Players have found it on 23 boards so far. 34 players have found it across Outlier's history.
It first turned up on Day 34, 23 June 2026. The most recent board was Day 165, 1 November 2026. Nobody has seen it on a board for 3 days.
First found by a player on Day 34, 23 June 2026.
Built from these letters
MODULATION starts with M and ends with N. Sorted, its letters read ADILMNOOTU - the shape to hunt for when the grid is scrambled. O appears more than once.
Words that start MODULA
Its neighbours in the OUTLIER dictionary - shortest first.
Also seen on Day 34
Could you have found MODULATION?
OUTLIER is a daily word game. One grid, the same grid for everybody, and the words nobody else spots are the ones that pay. This word was on Day 34 - and most players walked straight past it.
Play today's OUTLIER