/ məʊˈdæləti; NAmE moʊˈd-/ noun ( pl. -ies )
1.
[ C ] ( formal ) the particular way in which sth exists, is experienced or is done :
They are researching a different modality of treatment for the disease.
2.
[ U ] ( linguistics ) the idea expressed by modals
3.
[ C ] ( biology ) the kind of senses that the body uses to experience things :
the visual and auditory modalities
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WORD ORIGIN
early 17th cent.: from medieval Latin modalitas , from modalis , from Latin modus measure, from an Indo-European root shared by mete ; compare with mood in its grammatical sense.