modifier

Modifiers are, quite simply, any word or group of words that modifies (describes or elaborates upon) another element in a sentence. Modifiers can either be adjectives, which modify nouns (or sometimes pronouns), or adverbs, which modify pretty much everything else (usually verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs). Whether a modifier is an adjective or adverb depends on what it modifies and how it functions in a sentence.

mod·i·fi·er

(mŏd′ə-fī′ər)

A word, phrase, or clause that limits or qualifies the sense of another word or word group.

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.

modifier

(ˈmɒdɪˌfaɪə)

1. (Grammar) grammar Also called: qualifier a word or phrase that qualifies the sense of another word; for example, the noun alarm is a modifier of clock in alarm clock and the phrase every day is an adverbial modifier of walks in he walks every day

2. a person or thing that modifies

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

mod•i•fi•er

(ˈmɒd əˌfaɪ ər)

n.

1. a person or thing that modifies.

2. a word, phrase, or sentence element that limits or qualifies the sense of another word, phrase, or element in the same construction.

[1575–85]

usage: See dangling participle, misplaced modifier.

modifier

, qualifier - A word or phrase that limits or qualifies the sense of another is a modifier or qualifier.

modifier

A word, clause, or phrase that in some way qualifies or limits another word or group of words, for example “army” in an army vehicle.”

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun	1.	modifier - a content word that qualifies the meaning of a noun or verb qualifier content word, open-class word - a word to which an independent meaning can be assigned phrase - an expression consisting of one or more words forming a grammatical constituent of a sentence intensifier, intensive - a modifier that has little meaning except to intensify the meaning it modifies; "`up' in `finished up' is an intensifier"; "`honestly' in `I honestly don't know' is an intensifier" adjective - a word that expresses an attribute of something adverb - a word that modifies something other than a noun dangling modifier, misplaced modifier - a word or phrase apparently modifying an unintended word because of its placement in a sentence: e.g., `when young' in `when young, circuses appeal to all of us'
	2.	modifier - a moderator who makes less extreme or uncompromising moderator - someone who mediates disputes and attempts to avoid violence
	3.	modifier - a person who changes something; "an inveterate changer of the menu" changer individual, mortal, person, somebody, someone, soul - a human being; "there was too much for one person to do" adulterator - a changer who lessens the purity or effectiveness of a substance normaliser, normalizer - a person who normalizes standardiser, standardizer - a person who sets a standard for things to conform to
	4.	modifier - a gene that modifies the effect produced by another gene modifier gene cistron, gene, factor - (genetics) a segment of DNA that is involved in producing a polypeptide chain; it can include regions preceding and following the coding DNA as well as introns between the exons; it is considered a unit of heredity; "genes were formerly called factors"

Translations

modificatore

modifier

[ˈmɒdɪfaɪəʳ] N → modificante m

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

modifier

[ˈmɒdɪfaɪə^r] n → modificateur m

modifier

n (Gram) → Bestimmungswort nt, → nähere Bestimmung

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

modifier

[ˈmɒdɪˌfaɪəʳ] n (Gram) → modificatore m

modifier

n modificador m; biologic response — modificador de la respuesta biológica