modification

B2 Topic:Cause, Change & Process

US /ˌmɑdɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/ UK /ˌmɒdɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/ See IPA manual

Freq #23994

Meanings

1

noun
A change made to something to improve it or make it more suitable.

A few small modifications to the design made the car safer.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a change made to something... alteration adjustment change

Word family

Forms modifications

Derived forms automodificationbiomodificationdemodificationgeomodificationglycomodificationhydromodificationhypermodificationhypomodificationmicromodificationnanomodificationovermodificationphosphomodification

Related forms modifier modify

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

behavior modification
a therapeutic approach that changes learned actions by changing their consequences

Noun + noun

Etymology

From Middle English modificatioune, from Middle French modification and its etymon Latin modificātiō (“a measuring”), from modificāre (“to limit, control, modify”); see modify. By surface analysis, modify + -ication.

modificatioune Middle English modification Middle French modificātiō Latin *dʰeh₁- Proto-Indo-European

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Cause, Change & Process

External links

# modification

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˌmɑdɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/
**IPA (UK):** /ˌmɒdɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/
**Frequency rank:** 23994

## Meanings
1. A change made to something to improve it or make it more suitable.

## Examples
- A few small modifications to the design made the car safer.

## Derived Forms
- automodification
- biomodification
- demodification
- geomodification
- glycomodification
- hydromodification
- hypermodification
- hypomodification
- micromodification
- nanomodification
- overmodification
- phosphomodification

## Related Forms
- modifier
- modify

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: modificatioune
- Root: modification
- Root: modificātiō
- Root: *dʰeh₁-

## Etymology
From Middle English modificatioune, from Middle French modification and its etymon Latin modificātiō (“a measuring”), from modificāre (“to limit, control, modify”); see modify. By surface analysis, modify + -ication.

## AI Etymology
Modification comes from Middle English modificatioune, from Middle French modification and its etymon Latin modificātiō (“a measuring”), from modificāre (“to limit, control, modify”); see modify. By surface analysis, modify + -ication. In present-day English it covers a change made to something to improve it or make it more suitable. The historical chain runs through modificatioune (Middle English), modification (Middle French), modificātiō (Latin), and *dʰeh₁- (Proto-Indo-European). Related and derived forms include modifier, modify, automodification, and biomodification.

## Topics
- Cause, Change & Process

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