modifier Definition
- 1a word or group of words that describes or limits the meaning of another word or group of words
- 2a person or thing that modifies something
Using modifier: Examples
Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "modifier" can be used in various situations through the following examples!
Example
In the phrase 'big house,' 'big' is a modifier of 'house.'
Example
The adverb 'quickly' is a modifier of the verb 'run.'
Example
The teacher acted as a modifier of the student's behavior.
modifier Synonyms and Antonyms
Phrases with modifier
Example
Walking to the store, the rain started to fall. (The modifier 'walking to the store' is not clearly modifying any word in the sentence.)
an infinitive verb form that has a word (usually an adverb) between 'to' and the base verb form
Example
To boldly go where no one has gone before. ('Boldly' is a modifier splitting the infinitive 'to go'.)
a modifier that is placed too far away from the word it modifies, causing confusion or ambiguity
Example
I saw a man on the hill with a telescope. (It is unclear whether the man or the speaker has the telescope.)
Origins of modifier
from Latin 'modificare', meaning 'to limit, restrain'
Summary: modifier in Brief
A 'modifier' [ˈmɒdɪfaɪə(r)] is a word or group of words that describes or limits the meaning of another word or group of words. It can be an adjective, adverb, or other qualifier, as in 'big house' or 'quickly run.' 'Modifier' also refers to a person or thing that modifies something, as in a teacher modifying a student's behavior. Common errors include dangling modifiers, split infinitives, and misplaced modifiers.