modalities

noun

1. The particular mode in which something exists or is experienced or expressed.

   B2
   • "The therapy involves various modalities, including physical and cognitive exercises."B2
   • "Different modalities of communication are used in the classroom."B1

2. A specific method or approach, especially in a therapeutic or educational context.

   B2
   • "The treatment plan includes several different modalities to address the patient's needs."B2
   • "The course offers multiple modalities to cater to different learning styles."B1

3. The different ways or methods in which something can be done, experienced, or expressed.

   B2
   • "The therapy uses several modalities including massage and acupuncture."B1
   • "Online and in-person classes are different learning modalities."B2
   • "The report examines the modalities of cross-border data transfer under international law."C1

4. In medicine, a type of treatment or diagnostic procedure (e.g. surgery, radiation, imaging).

   C1

   formal

   • "CT scans and MRI are common imaging modalities."B2
   • "The trial compared two surgical modalities for the condition."C1
   • "Emerging therapeutic modalities necessitate revised clinical guidelines."C2

5. In linguistics, the categories of mood or mode that express a speaker's attitude to possibility, necessity, etc.

   C2

   technical

   • "English expresses modalities through modal verbs like 'can' and 'must'."B2
   • "The study analyzes epistemic modalities in spoken discourse."C2
   • "Deontic modalities encode obligation rather than likelihood."C2