amplitude modulation
noun Electronics, Radio.
AM.
Origin of amplitude modulation
First recorded in 1920–25
Words nearby amplitude modulation
amplificatory,
amplifier,
amplifier host,
amplify,
amplitude,
amplitude modulation,
amplitude of accommodation,
amply,
ampoule,
ampule,
ampulla
British Dictionary definitions for amplitude modulation
amplitude modulation
noun
one of the principal methods of transmitting audio, visual, or other types of information using radio waves, the relevant signal being superimposed onto a radio-frequency carrier wave. The frequency of the carrier wave remains unchanged but its amplitude is varied in accordance with the amplitude of the input signal
Abbreviation: AM, am Compare frequency modulation
a wave that has undergone this process
Scientific definitions for amplitude modulation
amplitude modulation
A method of transmitting signals, such as sound or digital information, in which the value of the signal is given by the amplitude of a high frequency carrier wave. In AM radio transmission, for example, the signal to be carried is a sound wave, and its increasing and decreasing value is reflected in the increasing and decreasing amplitude of the radio frequency carrier wave. In fiber optics, the carrier wave is a beam of light. Compare frequency modulation.
Cultural definitions for amplitude modulation
amplitude modulation
A type of radio signal in which the amplitude, or strength, of a radio wave is varied in order to carry information from a transmitter to a receiver. (Compare frequency modulation (FM).)