Standard Lemma guide

mode

noun · 22 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • General-American: /moʊd/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Received-Pronunciation: /məʊd/
  • Scotland: /mod/
  • rhymes with -əʊd
  • homophone: mowed (except Scotland)
  • CMU ARPABET: M OW1 D Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A particular means of accomplishing something.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • What was the mode of entry?

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A particular means of accomplishing something.

A state of a system that is represented by an eigenfunction of that system.

A state related to signals or vibrations.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: especially

Topics: engineering, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, physics, sciences

Examples

  • common-mode
  • differential-mode
  • normal mode of vibration

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A particular means of accomplishing something.

A state of a system that is represented by an eigenfunction of that system.

A wave pattern in the electromagnetic field.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: electrical-engineering, electromagnetism, engineering, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, physics, sciences

Examples

  • longitudinal mode
  • transverse mode

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A particular means of accomplishing something.

One of various related sets of rules for processing data; more generally, any state of the system associated with certain behaviours.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: computing, engineering, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, sciences

Examples

  • In insert mode, characters typed are directly inserted into the buffer.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

A particular means of accomplishing something.

A series of settings on a device used for a specific purpose.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: business, electrical-engineering, electricity, electromagnetism, electronics, energy, engineering, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, physics

Examples

  • airplane mode; night mode

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

A particular means of accomplishing something.

A variation in gameplay, such as a difficulty level.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: video-games

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

A particular means of accomplishing something.

A verb form that depends on how its containing clause relates to the speaker’s or writer’s wish, intent, or assertion about reality.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: grammar, human-sciences, linguistics, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: mood, grammatical mood

Antonyms: none provided

8

noun

Meaning 8

A particular means of accomplishing something.

That which exists only as a quality of substance.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: human-sciences, philosophy, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

noun

Meaning 9

A particular means of accomplishing something.

A particular means of transportation as a class.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Qualifier: urban studies

Topics: transport

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

10

noun

Meaning 10

A particular state of being, or frame of mind.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • After a series of early setbacks, her political campaign is in crisis mode.
  • After being stabbed, he went into survival mode until he got to the hospital.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

11

noun

Meaning 11

The most frequently occurring value in a distribution.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: mathematics, sciences, statistics

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: average

12

noun

Meaning 12

One of several common scales in modern Western music, one of which corresponds to the modern major scale and one to the natural minor scale.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: entertainment, lifestyle, music

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

13

noun

Meaning 13

One of several common scales in modern Western music, one of which corresponds to the modern major scale and one to the natural minor scale.

One of several ancient Greek scales.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: entertainment, lifestyle, music

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

14

noun

Meaning 14

In lace-making, a small decorative piece inserted into a pattern.

The openwork between the solid parts of a pattern.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: business, manufacturing, textiles

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

15

noun

Meaning 15

In lace-making, a small decorative piece inserted into a pattern.

A woman's mantle with a hood.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete

Topics: business, manufacturing, textiles

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

16

noun

Meaning 16

Style or fashion; popular trend.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • Her wardrobe is always in mode.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

17

noun

Meaning 17

how something is done or how it happens

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • her dignified manner
  • his rapid manner of talking
  • their nomadic mode of existence
  • in the characteristic New York style
  • a lonely way of life
  • in an abrasive fashion

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: manner, style, way, fashion

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: property

Narrower terms: artistic style, idiom, drape, fit, form, life style, life-style, lifestyle, modus vivendi, setup, touch, signature, wise, response

18

noun

Meaning 18

the most frequent value of a random variable

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: modal value

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: average, norm

19

noun

Meaning 19

any of various fixed orders of the various diatonic notes within an octave

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: musical mode

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: diatonic scale

Narrower terms: ecclesiastical mode, Gregorian mode, church mode, medieval mode, Greek mode, major scale, major diatonic scale, minor scale, minor diatonic scale

20

noun

Meaning 20

verb inflections that express how the action or state is conceived by the speaker

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: mood, modality

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: grammatical relation

Narrower terms: indicative mood, indicative, declarative mood, declarative, common mood, fact mood, subjunctive mood, subjunctive, optative mood, optative, imperative mood, imperative, jussive mood, imperative form, interrogative mood, interrogative

21

noun

Meaning 21

a classification of propositions on the basis of whether they claim necessity or possibility or impossibility

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: modality

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: logical relation

22

noun

Meaning 22

a particular functioning condition or arrangement

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • switched from keyboard to voice mode

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: condition, status

History

Etymology

From Old French mode (masculine), from Latin modus (“measure, due measure, rhythm, melody”). Doublet of modus.

From French mode f (“fashion, trend”).

Across languages

Translations

157 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: лад (lad) — in music
  • Czech: modus — in music
  • Dutch: wijs — in music
  • Finnish: moodi — in music
  • Greek: κλίμακα (klímaka) — in music
  • Greek: ήχος (íchos) — in music
  • Hungarian: hangsor — in music
  • Hungarian: hangnem — in music
  • Ido: modo — in music
  • Norwegian Bokmål: modus — in music
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: modus — in music
  • Romanian: mod — in music
  • Russian: лад (lad) — in music
  • Russian: тона́льность (tonálʹnostʹ) — in music
  • Armenian: եղանակ (eġanak) — means of accomplishing something
  • Armenian: ձեւ (jew) — means of accomplishing something
  • Armenian: կերպ (kerp) — means of accomplishing something
  • Bulgarian: начин (način) — means of accomplishing something
  • Bulgarian: способ (sposob) — means of accomplishing something
  • Chinese Mandarin: 方式 (fāngshì) — means of accomplishing something
  • Chinese Mandarin: 辦法 /办法 (bànfǎ) — means of accomplishing something
  • Dutch: wijze — means of accomplishing something
  • Esperanto: maniero — means of accomplishing something
  • Esperanto: metodo — means of accomplishing something
  • Estonian: viis — means of accomplishing something
  • Finnish: tapa — means of accomplishing something
  • Finnish: keino — means of accomplishing something
  • French: manière — means of accomplishing something
  • French: façon — means of accomplishing something
  • French: mode — means of accomplishing something
  • Georgian: მეთოდი (metodi) — means of accomplishing something
  • Georgian: საშუალება (sašualeba) — means of accomplishing something
  • German: Art — means of accomplishing something
  • Greek: μέθοδος (méthodos) — means of accomplishing something
  • Greek: τρόπος (trópos) — means of accomplishing something
  • Ancient Greek: τρόπος (trópos) — means of accomplishing something
  • Hebrew: דֶּרֶךְ (derekh) — means of accomplishing something
  • Hungarian: mód — means of accomplishing something
  • Hungarian: módozat — means of accomplishing something
  • Japanese: モード (mōdo) — means of accomplishing something
  • Northern Kurdish: awa — means of accomplishing something
  • Northern Kurdish: şêwe — means of accomplishing something
  • Latin: modus — means of accomplishing something
  • Norwegian Bokmål: modus — means of accomplishing something
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: modus — means of accomplishing something
  • Polish: sposób — means of accomplishing something
  • Polish: metoda — means of accomplishing something
  • Portuguese: modo — means of accomplishing something
  • Russian: ме́тод (métod) — means of accomplishing something
  • Russian: мето́дика (metódika) — means of accomplishing something
  • Russian: спо́соб (spósob) — means of accomplishing something
  • Russian: лад (lad) — means of accomplishing something
  • Russian: мане́ра (manéra) — means of accomplishing something
  • Scottish Gaelic: modh — means of accomplishing something
  • Scottish Gaelic: dòigh — means of accomplishing something
  • Spanish: modo — means of accomplishing something
  • Spanish: medio — means of accomplishing something
  • Ottoman Turkish: طور (tavr, tavır) — means of accomplishing something
  • Ottoman Turkish: یول (yol) — means of accomplishing something
  • Hungarian: üzemmód — a particular state of being, or frame of mind
  • Hungarian: mód — a particular state of being, or frame of mind
  • Swedish: humör — a particular state of being, or frame of mind
  • Arabic: مِنْوَال (minwāl) — statistics: the most frequently occurring value in a distribution
  • Bulgarian: мода (moda) — statistics: the most frequently occurring value in a distribution
  • Chinese Mandarin: 眾數 /众数 (zhòngshù) — statistics: the most frequently occurring value in a distribution
  • Czech: modus — statistics: the most frequently occurring value in a distribution
  • Finnish: moodi — statistics: the most frequently occurring value in a distribution
  • Finnish: tyyppiarvo — statistics: the most frequently occurring value in a distribution
  • Hungarian: módusz — statistics: the most frequently occurring value in a distribution
  • Icelandic: tíðasta gildi — statistics: the most frequently occurring value in a distribution
  • Icelandic: algengasta gildi — statistics: the most frequently occurring value in a distribution
  • Icelandic: líklegasta gildi — statistics: the most frequently occurring value in a distribution
  • Italian: moda — statistics: the most frequently occurring value in a distribution
  • Korean: 최빈값 (choebin'gap) — statistics: the most frequently occurring value in a distribution
  • Malay: angkerap — statistics: the most frequently occurring value in a distribution
  • Malay: mode — statistics: the most frequently occurring value in a distribution
  • Māori: tau tānui — statistics: the most frequently occurring value in a distribution
  • Polish: dominanta — statistics: the most frequently occurring value in a distribution
  • Polish: wartość modalna — statistics: the most frequently occurring value in a distribution
  • Russian: мо́да (móda) — statistics: the most frequently occurring value in a distribution
  • Spanish: moda — statistics: the most frequently occurring value in a distribution
  • Swedish: typvärde — statistics: the most frequently occurring value in a distribution
  • Tagalog: palasak — statistics: the most frequently occurring value in a distribution
  • Welsh: modd — statistics: the most frequently occurring value in a distribution
  • Finnish: tila — mathematics, physics: state of a system represented by an eigenfunction of that system
  • Hungarian: módus — mathematics, physics: state of a system represented by an eigenfunction of that system
  • Ido: modo — mathematics, physics: state of a system represented by an eigenfunction of that system
  • Russian: режи́м (režím) — mathematics, physics: state of a system represented by an eigenfunction of that system
  • Russian: состоя́ние (sostojánije) — mathematics, physics: state of a system represented by an eigenfunction of that system
  • Turkish: mod — mathematics, physics: state of a system represented by an eigenfunction of that system
  • Turkish: kip — mathematics, physics: state of a system represented by an eigenfunction of that system
  • Belarusian: рэжы́м (režým) — computing: one of various related sets of rules for processing data; more generally, any state of the system associated with certain behaviours
  • Bulgarian: режим (režim) — computing: one of various related sets of rules for processing data; more generally, any state of the system associated with certain behaviours
  • Chinese Mandarin: 狀態 /状态 (zhuàngtài) — computing: one of various related sets of rules for processing data; more generally, any state of the system associated with certain behaviours
  • Chinese Mandarin: 模式 (móshì) — computing: one of various related sets of rules for processing data; more generally, any state of the system associated with certain behaviours
  • Czech: režim — computing: one of various related sets of rules for processing data; more generally, any state of the system associated with certain behaviours
  • Czech: mód — computing: one of various related sets of rules for processing data; more generally, any state of the system associated with certain behaviours
  • Danish: tilstand — computing: one of various related sets of rules for processing data; more generally, any state of the system associated with certain behaviours
  • Dutch: modus — computing: one of various related sets of rules for processing data; more generally, any state of the system associated with certain behaviours
  • Esperanto: reĝimo — computing: one of various related sets of rules for processing data; more generally, any state of the system associated with certain behaviours
  • Estonian: režiim — computing: one of various related sets of rules for processing data; more generally, any state of the system associated with certain behaviours
  • Finnish: tila — computing: one of various related sets of rules for processing data; more generally, any state of the system associated with certain behaviours
  • Finnish: moodi — computing: one of various related sets of rules for processing data; more generally, any state of the system associated with certain behaviours
  • French: mode — computing: one of various related sets of rules for processing data; more generally, any state of the system associated with certain behaviours
  • Georgian: რეჟიმი (režimi) — computing: one of various related sets of rules for processing data; more generally, any state of the system associated with certain behaviours
  • Georgian: მდგომარეობა (mdgomareoba) — computing: one of various related sets of rules for processing data; more generally, any state of the system associated with certain behaviours
  • German: Modus — computing: one of various related sets of rules for processing data; more generally, any state of the system associated with certain behaviours
  • German: Betriebsart — computing: one of various related sets of rules for processing data; more generally, any state of the system associated with certain behaviours
  • Greek: ρύθμιση (rýthmisi) — computing: one of various related sets of rules for processing data; more generally, any state of the system associated with certain behaviours
  • Greek: προσαρμογή (prosarmogí) — computing: one of various related sets of rules for processing data; more generally, any state of the system associated with certain behaviours
  • Hungarian: üzemmód — computing: one of various related sets of rules for processing data; more generally, any state of the system associated with certain behaviours
  • Ido: modo — computing: one of various related sets of rules for processing data; more generally, any state of the system associated with certain behaviours
  • Indonesian: modus — computing: one of various related sets of rules for processing data; more generally, any state of the system associated with certain behaviours
  • Japanese: モード (mōdo) — computing: one of various related sets of rules for processing data; more generally, any state of the system associated with certain behaviours
  • Korean: 모드 (modeu) — computing: one of various related sets of rules for processing data; more generally, any state of the system associated with certain behaviours
  • Malay: mod — computing: one of various related sets of rules for processing data; more generally, any state of the system associated with certain behaviours
  • Māori: aratau — computing: one of various related sets of rules for processing data; more generally, any state of the system associated with certain behaviours
  • Norwegian Bokmål: modus — computing: one of various related sets of rules for processing data; more generally, any state of the system associated with certain behaviours
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: modus — computing: one of various related sets of rules for processing data; more generally, any state of the system associated with certain behaviours
  • Polish: tryb — computing: one of various related sets of rules for processing data; more generally, any state of the system associated with certain behaviours
  • Russian: режи́м (režím) — computing: one of various related sets of rules for processing data; more generally, any state of the system associated with certain behaviours
  • Serbo-Croatian: на́чин рада — computing: one of various related sets of rules for processing data; more generally, any state of the system associated with certain behaviours
  • Serbo-Croatian: рѐжӣм — computing: one of various related sets of rules for processing data; more generally, any state of the system associated with certain behaviours
  • Serbo-Croatian: мо̑д — computing: one of various related sets of rules for processing data; more generally, any state of the system associated with certain behaviours
  • Serbo-Croatian: náčin rada — computing: one of various related sets of rules for processing data; more generally, any state of the system associated with certain behaviours
  • Serbo-Croatian: rèžīm — computing: one of various related sets of rules for processing data; more generally, any state of the system associated with certain behaviours
  • Serbo-Croatian: mȏd — computing: one of various related sets of rules for processing data; more generally, any state of the system associated with certain behaviours
  • Swedish: läge — computing: one of various related sets of rules for processing data; more generally, any state of the system associated with certain behaviours
  • Turkish: mod — computing: one of various related sets of rules for processing data; more generally, any state of the system associated with certain behaviours
  • Ukrainian: режи́м (režým) — computing: one of various related sets of rules for processing data; more generally, any state of the system associated with certain behaviours
  • Vietnamese: chế độ — computing: one of various related sets of rules for processing data; more generally, any state of the system associated with certain behaviours
  • Bulgarian: мода (moda) — style or fashion
  • Catalan: moda — style or fashion
  • Danish: mode — style or fashion
  • Dutch: mode — style or fashion
  • Dutch: trend — style or fashion
  • Esperanto: modo — style or fashion
  • Estonian: mood — style or fashion
  • Faroese: móti — style or fashion
  • Finnish: muoti — style or fashion
  • Finnish: muodikas — style or fashion
  • French: mode — style or fashion
  • German: Mode — style or fashion
  • Greek: μόδα (móda) — style or fashion
  • Greek: συρμός (syrmós) — style or fashion
  • Hungarian: divat — style or fashion
  • Hungarian: módi — style or fashion
  • Ido: modo — style or fashion
  • Northern Kurdish: mode — style or fashion
  • Northern Kurdish: trend — style or fashion
  • Norwegian: mote — style or fashion
  • Polish: moda — style or fashion
  • Polish: styl — style or fashion
  • Portuguese: moda — style or fashion
  • Russian: мо́да (móda) — style or fashion
  • Spanish: moda — style or fashion
  • Swedish: mode — style or fashion