modification

Also found in: Thesaurus, Medical, Legal, Acronyms, Idioms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.

Related to modification: behavior modification

mod·i·fi·ca·tion

(mŏd′ə-fĭ-kā′shən)

1. The act or process of modifying or the condition of being modified.

2. A change or a result produced by modifying: new modifications in the car's design.

3. Linguistics

a. A change undergone by a word that is borrowed from another language.

b. A phonological change undergone by a word or morpheme when it is used in a construction, as the change of will to 'll in they'll.

mod′i·fi·ca′tor n.

mod′i·fi·ca′to·ry (-kā′tə-rē), mod′i·fi·ca′tive (-kā′tĭv) adj.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

modification

(ˌmɒdɪfɪˈkeɪʃən)

1. the act of modifying or the condition of being modified

2. something modified; the result of a modification

3. a small change or adjustment

4. (Grammar) grammar the relation between a modifier and the word or phrase that it modifies

ˈmodifiˌcatory, ˈmodifiˌcative adj

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

mod•i•fi•ca•tion

(ˌmɒd ə fɪˈkeɪ ʃən)

n.

1. an act or instance of modifying or the state of being modified.

2. a modified form; variety.

3. a change in an organism acquired during its lifetime and not inheritable.

4. limitation or qualification.

a. the use of modifiers in a construction or language.

b. the meaning a modifier has, esp. as it affects the meaning of the word or other form modified, as in limitation.

6. a change in the phonological shape of a morpheme, word, or other form when it functions as an element in a construction, as the change of not to n't in doesn't.

[1495–1505; < Latin]

mod·i·fi·ca·tion

(mŏd′ə-fĭ-kā′shən)

A change in an organism resulting from external influences, and not inheritable.

The American Heritage® Student Science Dictionary, Second Edition. Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Switch to new thesaurus

Noun	1.	modification - the act of making something different (as e.g. the size of a garment) adjustment, alteration laxation, loosening - the act of making something less tight tightening - the act of making something tighter; "the tightening of economic controls" change - the action of changing something; "the change of government had no impact on the economy"; "his change on abortion cost him the election" accommodation - (physiology) the automatic adjustment in focal length of the natural lens of the eye adaptation - (physiology) the responsive adjustment of a sense organ (as the eye) to varying conditions (as of light) tune - the adjustment of a radio receiver or other circuit to a required frequency
	2.	modification - slightly modified copy; not an exact copy; "a modification of last year's model" copy - a thing made to be similar or identical to another thing; "she made a copy of the designer dress"; "the clone was a copy of its ancestor"
	3.	modification - the grammatical relation that exists when a word qualifies the meaning of the phrase limiting, qualifying grammatical relation - a linguistic relation established by grammar restrictiveness - a grammatical qualification that makes the meaning more specific (`red hat' has a more specific meaning than `hat') apposition - a grammatical relation between a word and a noun phrase that follows; "`Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer' is an example of apposition"
	4.	modification - an event that occurs when something passes from one state or phase to another; "the change was intended to increase sales"; "this storm is certainly a change for the worse"; "the neighborhood had undergone few modifications since his last visit years ago" alteration, change acceleration - an increase in rate of change; "modern science caused an acceleration of cultural change" deceleration, retardation, slowing - a decrease in rate of change; "the deceleration of the arms race" happening, natural event, occurrence, occurrent - an event that happens avulsion - an abrupt change in the course of a stream that forms the boundary between two parcels of land resulting in the loss of part of the land of one landowner and a consequent increase in the land of another break - an abrupt change in the tone or register of the voice (as at puberty or due to emotion); "then there was a break in her voice" mutation - a change or alteration in form or qualities sublimation - (psychology) modifying the natural expression of an impulse or instinct (especially a sexual one) to one that is socially acceptable surprise - a sudden unexpected event nascence, nascency, nativity, birth - the event of being born; "they celebrated the birth of their first child" breakup, separation, detachment - coming apart vagary - an unexpected and inexplicable change in something (in a situation or a person's behavior, etc.); "the vagaries of the weather"; "his wealth fluctuates with the vagaries of the stock market"; "he has dealt with human vagaries for many years" variation, fluctuation - an instance of change; the rate or magnitude of change conversion - a change of religion; "his conversion to the Catholic faith" death, decease, expiry - the event of dying or departure from life; "her death came as a terrible shock"; "upon your decease the capital will pass to your grandchildren" decrease, lessening, drop-off - a change downward; "there was a decrease in his temperature as the fever subsided"; "there was a sharp drop-off in sales" destabilization - an event that causes a loss of equilibrium (as of a ship or aircraft) increase - a change resulting in an increase; "the increase is scheduled for next month" easing, moderation, relief - a change for the better deformation - alteration in the shape or dimensions of an object as a result of the application of stress to it transition - a change from one place or state or subject or stage to another transformation, transmutation, shift - a qualitative change sparkling, twinkle, scintillation - a rapid change in brightness; a brief spark or flash shimmer, play - a weak and tremulous light; "the shimmer of colors on iridescent feathers"; "the play of light on the water" transmutation - (physics) the change of one chemical element into another (as by nuclear decay or radioactive bombardment); "the transmutation of base metals into gold proved to be impossible" damage, impairment, harm - the occurrence of a change for the worse development - a recent event that has some relevance for the present situation; "recent developments in Iraq"; "what a revolting development!" revolution - a drastic and far-reaching change in ways of thinking and behaving; "the industrial revolution was also a cultural revolution" chromosomal mutation, genetic mutation, mutation - (genetics) any event that changes genetic structure; any alteration in the inherited nucleic acid sequence of the genotype of an organism sex change - a change in a person's physical sexual characteristics (as by surgery and hormone treatments) loss of consciousness - the occurrence of a loss of the ability to perceive and respond

modification

noun change, restriction, variation, qualification, adjustment, revision, alteration, mutation, reformation, refinement, makeover, modulation Relatively minor modifications were required.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

modification

noun

The process or result of making or becoming different:

alteration, change, mutation, permutation, variation.

Translations

تَخْفيف، تَعْديلتَعْدِيلٌ

úpravasnížení

ændring

Abänderung Abwandlung Änderung Modifikation

τροποποίηση μετατροπή

modificación

muunnos

modification

modifikacija

smábreyting, lagfæring

modifica modificazione

変更

수정

wijziging

endring forandringer modifisering små forandringer

modyfikacja

modificação

видоизменение модификация

modifikácia

ändring

การเปลี่ยนแปลงแก้ไข

değişiklikdeğiştirme

sự sửa đổi

修改

modification

[ˌmɒdɪfɪˈkeɪʃən] N → modificación f (to de)

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

modification

[ˌmɒdɪfɪˈkeɪʃ^ən] n → modification f
to make modifications to sth → apporter des modifications à qch

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

modification

n → (Ver)änderung f; (of design) → Abänderung f; (of terms, contract, wording) → Modifizierung f, → Modifikation f; to make modifications to something → (Ver)änderungen an etw (dat) → vornehmen; → etw abändern; → etw modifizieren; the suggested modifications to his design → die Änderungsvorschläge pl → zu seinem Entwurf

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

modification

[ˌmɒdɪfɪˈkeɪʃ/ən] n modification (to, in) → modifica (a)
to make modifications → fare or apportare delle modifiche

modify

(ˈmodifai) verb

to change the form or quality of, usually slightly. We had to modify the original design.

ˌmodifiˈcation (-fi-) noun

modification

→ تَعْدِيلٌ úprava ændring Änderung τροποποίηση modificación muunnos modification modifikacija modifica 変更 수정 wijziging endring modyfikacja modificação модификация ändring การเปลี่ยนแปลงแก้ไข değişiklik sự sửa đổi 修改

mod·i·fi·ca·tion

n. modificación, cambio.

modification

n modificación f; behavior — modificación de la conducta

References in classic literature ?

It is, therefore, of the highest importance to gain a clear insight into the means of modification and coadaptation.

We shall thus see that a large amount of hereditary modification is at least possible, and, what is equally or more important, we shall see how great is the power of man in accumulating by his Selection successive slight variations.

Yet these relations are of the highest importance, for they determine the present welfare, and, as I believe, the future success and modification of every inhabitant of this world.

View in context

For statements and opinions are said to have this capacity, not because they themselves undergo modification, but because this modification occurs in the case of something else.

But it is by reason of the modification which takes place within the substance itself that a substance is said to be capable of admitting contrary qualities; for a substance admits within itself either disease or health, whiteness or blackness.

To sum up, it is a distinctive mark of substance, that, while remaining numerically one and the same, it is capable of admitting contrary qualities, the modification taking place through a change in the substance itself.

View in context

Hence it must appear, that objections to the particular modification of the federal power of regulating elections will, in substance, apply with equal force to the modification of the like power in the constitution of this State; and for this reason it will be impossible to acquit the one, and to condemn the other.

View in context

The essence of "experience" is the modification of behaviour produced by what is experienced.

I mean that, in attempting to state the PROXIMATE cause of the present event, some past event or events must be included, unless we take refuge in hypothetical modifications of brain structure.) For example: you smell peat-smoke, and you recall some occasion when you smelt it before.

They are explained without it by Semon's "engram," or by any theory which regards the results of experience as embodied in modifications of the brain and nerves.

I am myself inclined, as a working hypothesis, to adopt the belief in question, and to hold that past experience only affects present behaviour through modifications of physiological structure.

View in context

He was a master of metre, and contributed certain modifications to the laws of Chinese prosody which exist to the present day.