mode

"Mode" is a useful word with about four common meanings. It can describe a way of doing something, a setting on a device, a style or trend, or a specific value in mathematics. You will encounter it in everyday conversation, technology, and academic contexts.

1nounway or method

When you talk about a 'mode' of doing something, you mean the particular way or method used to do it. Think of it as the 'channel' or 'approach' chosen for something.

everyday language · Modern, widely used

Walking is her preferred mode of transport in the city.

Email has become the dominant mode of communication in most offices.

The team switched to a different mode of working after the new manager arrived.

2noundevice setting or state

On phones, computers, and other devices, a 'mode' is a specific setting or state that changes how the device behaves. You switch between modes depending on what you need.

technology · Modern, widely used

Turn on airplane mode before the flight takes off.

The camera has a portrait mode that blurs the background.

My phone switches to dark mode automatically at night.

3nounfashion or style

In fashion and culture, 'mode' refers to a popular style or trend at a particular time. This sense comes directly from French and is more formal or old-fashioned in English today.

fashion, culture · Formal, more common in older texts

Wide-leg trousers were very much the mode in the 1970s.

The designer's collection reflected the mode of the season.

She always dressed according to the latest mode.

4nounmost frequent value (statistics)

In mathematics and statistics, the 'mode' is the value that appears most often in a set of numbers. If you have the numbers 1, 2, 2, 3, 4, the mode is 2 because it appears twice — more than any other number.

mathematics, statistics · Modern, widely used

The mode of the data set {3, 5, 5, 7, 9} is 5.

The teacher asked the students to find the mean, median, and mode of the test scores.

When the mode is used, it tells you the most common result in a survey.