In grammar, a modal or a modal auxiliary is a word such as 'can' or 'would' which is used with a main verb to express ideas such as possibility, intention, or necessity.
[technical]
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modal in British English
(ˈməʊdəl)
adjective
1.
of, relating to, or characteristic of mode or manner
2. grammar
(of a verb form or auxiliary verb) expressing a distinction of mood, such as that between possibility and actuality. The modal auxiliaries in English include can, could, may, must, need, ought, shall, should, will, and would
3. philosophy, logic
a.
qualifying or expressing a qualification of the truth of some statement, for example, as necessary or contingent
b.
relating to analogous qualifications such as that of rules as obligatory or permissive
4. metaphysics
of or relating to the form of a thing as opposed to its attributes, substance, etc
5. music
of or relating to a mode
6.
of or relating to a statistical mode
Derived forms
modally (ˈmodally)
adverb
modal in American English
(ˈmoʊdəl)
adjective
1.
of or indicating a mode or mood
2. Grammar
of or expressing mood
a modal auxiliary
3.
a. Jazz
of or relating to compositions or improvisations based on an arrangement of modes rather than a series of chord progressions
b.
in popular music, of or characterized by the repetition of one or two chords as a harmonic base
4. Logic
expressing or characterized by modality
5. Music
of or composed in any of the medieval church modes
6. Philosophy
of mode, or form, as opposed to substance
7. Statistics
having to do with a statistical mode
noun
8. Grammar
modal auxiliary
Derived forms
modally (ˈmodally)
adverb
Word origin
ML modalis < L modus, mode
In other languages
modal
British English: modal NOUN
In grammar, a modal or a modal auxiliary is a word such as 'can' or 'would' which is used with a main verb to express ideas such as possibility, intention, or necessity.