modal

¹

[ mohd-l ]

adjective

1. of or relating to mode, manner, or form.
2. Music.
   1. relating to mode, as distinguished from key.
   2. based on a scale other than major or minor.
3. Also single modal. Transportation. relating to or suitable for transportation involving only one form of a carrier, such as truck, rail, or ship. Compare bimodal ( def 3 ), intermodal.
4. Grammar. being or relating to mood.
5. Philosophy. relating to a mode of a thing, as distinguished from one of its basic attributes or from its substance or matter.
6. Statistics. relating to the mode, the value that occurs most frequently in a particular data set, population, etc.
7. Logic. exhibiting or expressing some phase of modality.

noun

1. Grammar. modal auxiliary ( def ).

modal

²

[ moh-dol, mohd-l ]

noun

1. a type of rayon made from the pulp of hardwood trees, especially beech.

modal

/ 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
   1. qualifying or expressing a qualification of the truth of some statement, for example, as necessary or contingent
   2. 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

• ˈmodally, adverb

Other Words From

• mod·al·ly adverb
• non·mod·al adjective
• non·mod·al·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of modal¹

First recorded in 1560–70; from Medieval Latin modālis; equivalent to mode ¹ + -al ¹

Origin of modal²

First recorded in 1975–80; from Serbo-Croatian; equivalent to mod(ulus) ( def ) + -al ¹( def )

Example Sentences

Called upon to play New Orleans music, swing, bebop, avant-garde, fusion, modal jazz, jazz rock, acid-jazz and more, he responded with extraordinary skill and imagination.

From Los Angeles Times

The music itself blends jazz, blues and gospel music, creating a compositional voice the New York Times described as "dominated by lushly chromatic and modal harmonic writing, spiked with jagged rhythms and tart dissonance."

From Salon

Jeanie Ward-Waller, former deputy director of planning and modal programs for the agency, warned that the freeway was being widened to jump-start the toll lane proposal.

From Los Angeles Times

"Labour will set targets for modal shift to lower emissions from the transport sector," the document spells out rather dryly, on page 16.

From BBC

Lage takes some modal and chromatic detours, and the pianist Kris Davis flings around free-jazz clusters, but the track never loses a rowdy roadhouse spirit.

From New York Times