modification
Americannoun
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an act or instance of modifying.
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the state of being modified; partial alteration.
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a modified form; variety.
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Biology. a change in a living organism acquired from its own activity or environment and not transmitted to its descendants.
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limitation or qualification.
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Grammar.
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the use of a modifier in a construction, or of modifiers in a class of constructions or in a language.
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the meaning of a modifier, especially as it affects the meaning of the word or other form modified.
Limitation is one kind of modification.
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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.
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an adjustment in the form of a word as it passes from one language to another.
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noun
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the act of modifying or the condition of being modified
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something modified; the result of a modification
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a small change or adjustment
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grammar the relation between a modifier and the word or phrase that it modifies
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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intermodificationnoun
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overmodificationnoun
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premodificationnoun
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remodificationnoun
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modificatoryadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of modification
1495–1505; < Latin modificātiōn- (stem of modificātiō ), equivalent to modificāt ( us ) (past participle of modificāre; see modify) + -iōn- -ion
Explanation
A modification is a change or alteration, usually to make something work better. If you want to change something — in other words, modify it — you need to make a modification. Lots of things require modification, because they get older or just because they can be improved. A car needs modification — in the form of snow tires — to be ready for the winter. Computer programs need modification all the time, because of new products or viruses. When you think of the word modification, think "change."
Vocabulary lists containing modification
"The Origin of Species by Natural Selection" by Charles Darwin: Essential Words
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My Life as an Ice Cream Sandwich
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Scientific Inquiry - Middle School and High School
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
This model of physicochemical modification could improve scientists' understanding of how oceanic plates develop and how large volcanic provinces reshape Earth's interior.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 18, 2026
In implementing the law, the government further defined "harm" to include "significant habitat modification or degradation where it actually kills or injures wildlife by significantly impairing essential behavioral patterns, including breeding, feeding or sheltering."
From Barron's ● Jul. 10, 2026
The HSE said that the hazards arising from this modification had "not been properly identified or managed".
From BBC ● Jun. 17, 2026
Tiny cellular antennas mounted atop the viewers became the only obvious visual modification.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 14, 2026
The pump is a modification of Savery’s engine, with a float introduced to separate the steam from the water being pumped.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
“It’s a lot of major modifications to the airplane—it’s not simple,” Kendall said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
Gunn said "major plant modifications and upgrades" would be made.
From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2026
It has since undergone major modifications and testing.
From Barron's ● Jul. 1, 2026
The breakthrough came from making nanoscale modifications to the substrate itself.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 17, 2026
"JPL is experimenting with modifications to the MDV so it can make a brief overland flight after landing."
From "The Martian" by Andy Weir
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.