modal

Meaning

Adj

1. Of, or relating to a mode or modus.
2. Of, relating to, or describing the mood of a clause.
3. Of, relating to, or composed in the musical modi by which an octave is divided, associated with emotional moods in Ancient — and in medieval ecclesiastical — music.
4. Of, or relating to the modality between propositions.
5. Relating to the statistical mode.
6. Having separate modes in which user input has different effects.
7. Requiring immediate user interaction and thus presented so that it cannot be closed or interacted behind until a decision is made.
8. Relating to the form of a thing rather to any of its attributes.

Noun

1. A modal proposition.
2. A modal form, notably a modal auxiliary.
3. A modal verb.
4. A modal window, one that cannot be closed until a decision is made.

Synonyms

modal verb

modal auxiliary

modal auxiliary verb

average

conventional

formal

mod

modality

mood

perfunctory

prim

starched

tropic

tropical

typical

auxiliary

modal case

auxiliary verb

ceremonial

ceremonious

Translations

modal

modaal

modal

modal

kip

tipik

moyen

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈməʊd.əl/

Etymology

Cognate with French: -

Cognate with Spanish: -

Cognate with Portuguese: modal

Cognate with Italian: modale

In summary

From Middle French modal, from Medieval Latin modālis (“pertaining to a mode”), from Latin modus (“mode”); equivalent to mode + -al. Compare to French, Spanish, and Portuguese modal and Italian modale.