Modal

/ˈməʊdəl/ adj, noun

adj, noun ·Moderate ·College level

Meaning at a glance

  • Primary sense: A modal proposition.
  • Grammar: modal is listed as adj, noun.
  • Nearest alternatives: average, block interface, conditional, conditioning.
  • Useful contrasts: atonal, impossible, improbable.
  • Usage evidence: Most foreigners will never fully master the use of German modal particles.

How to use "modal"

  1. Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
  2. Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "modal" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
  3. Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.

Meaning check

  • Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
  • Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
  • Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
  • Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?

Source and review context

This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "modal" in a final draft.

If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.

Before you rely on this definition

Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "modal" as the right word for your sentence.

If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "modal" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.

Compare nearby meanings

  • Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
  • Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
  • Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
  • Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.

Definition decision workflow

1. Identify the role

Check whether "modal" is acting as adj, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.

2. Test the nearest option

Compare it with "average" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.

3. Confirm with context

Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.

Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.

Final meaning check

Before publishing a sentence with "modal", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.

When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A modal proposition.
  2. 2
    A semi-synthetic fabric, a very soft kind of rayon textile made from beech tree pulp and processed with chemicals. uncountable
  3. 3
    an auxiliary verb (such as ‘can’ or ‘will’) that is used to express modality wordnet
  4. 4
    A modal form, notably a modal auxiliary.
  5. 5
    A modal verb.

    "Using the same type of distributional criterion, we could argue that only a Verb (in its base form) can occur in the position marked — in (23) below to complete the sentence: (23) They/it can — [...] Conversely, the only type of word which could be used to begin a three-word sentence such as (25) below: (25) — I be frank? is a Modal: cf. [...]"

Show 1 more definition
  1. 6
    A modal window, one that cannot be closed until a decision is made.

    "Modal screen elements are subtrees which, when activated, disable all elements external to them. Examples of modals are yes-no message boxes and the application itself."

Adjective
  1. 1
    Of, or relating to a mode or modus.
  2. 2
    Of, relating to, or describing the mood of a clause.
  3. 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. 4
    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.; In a mode which is not major or minor scale, the standard modes used in the Western musical tradition. broadly
  5. 5
    Of, or relating to the modality between propositions.
Show 4 more definitions
  1. 6
    Relating to the statistical mode.
  2. 7
    Having separate modes in which user input has different effects.
  3. 8
    Requiring immediate user interaction and thus presented so that it cannot be closed or interacted behind until a decision is made.

    "Dialogs can be modal, in which case the user is required to provide necessary information before work in the main window can continue, or modeless. Modeless dialogs do not prevent the user from interacting with any of the other windows in the application."

  4. 9
    Relating to the form of a thing rather to any of its attributes.
Adjective
  1. 1
    relating to or constituting the most frequent value in a distribution wordnet
  2. 2
    relating to or expressing the mood of a verb wordnet
  3. 3
    of or relating to a musical mode; especially written in an ecclesiastical mode wordnet

Synonyms

All synonyms
averageblock interfaceconditionalconditioningdorianformal

Example

"Most foreigners will never fully master the use of German modal particles."

Common questions

What does "modal" mean?

A modal proposition.

What is a synonym for "modal"?

Common synonyms include: average, block interface, conditional, conditioning, dorian, formal.

How do you use "modal" in a sentence?

Most foreigners will never fully master the use of German modal particles.

How do you pronounce "modal"?

Pronounced /ˈməʊdəl/.

Etymology

Etymology 1

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

Etymology 2

A genericized trademark of Lenzing AG.

More for "modal"

Synonyms

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