modal

• POS: Adjective
• HYPHEN: mod=al

CIDE DICTIONARY

modal, a. [Cf. F. modal. See Mode.].

•  Of or pertaining to a mode or mood; consisting in mode or form only; relating to form; having the form without the essence or reality.  Glanvill.  [1913 Webster]
•  Indicating, or pertaining to, some mode of conceiving existence, or of expressing thought, such as the modes of possibility or obligation.  [1913 Webster]
•  Pertaining to or denoting mood.  [PJC]

modal, n. 

 A modal auxiliary.  [PJC]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

modal, adj.
1 of or relating to mode or form as opposed to substance.
2 Gram. a of or denoting the mood of a verb. b (of an auxiliary verb, e.g. would) used to express the mood of another verb. c (of a particle) denoting manner.
3 Statistics of or relating to a mode; occurring most frequently in a sample or population.
4 Mus. denoting a style of music using a particular mode.
5 Logic (of a proposition) in which the predicate is affirmed of the subject with some qualification, or which involves the affirmation of possiblity, impossibility, necessity, or contingency.

Derivative

modally adv.

Etymology

med.L modalis f. L (as MODE)

ROGET THESAURUS

modal

Extrinsicality

N extrinsicality, objectiveness, non ego, extraneousness, accident, appearance, phenomenon, derived from without, objective, extrinsic, extrinsical, extraneous, modal, adventitious, ascititious, adscititious, incidental, accidental, nonessential, contingent, fortuitous, implanted, ingrafted, inculcated, infused, outward, apparent, extrinsically.

State

N state, condition, category, estate, lot, ease, trim, mood, pickle, plight, temper, aspect, dilemma, pass, predicament, constitution, habitude, diathesis, frame, fabric, stamp, set, fit, mold, mould, mode, modality, schesis, form, tone, tenor, turn, trim, guise, fashion, light, complexion, style, character, conditional, modal, formal, structural, organic, conditionally, as the matter stands, as things are, such being the case.

Circumstance

N circumstance, situation, phase, position, posture, attitude, place, point, terms, regime, footing, standing, status, occasion, juncture, conjunctive, contingency, predicament, emergence, emergency, exigency, crisis, pinch, pass, push, occurrence, turning point, bearings, how the land lies, surroundings, context, environment, location, contingency, dependence (uncertainty), causation, attribution, circumstantial, given, conditional, provisional, critical, modal, contingent, incidental, adventitious, limitative, in the circumstances, under the circumstances, the circumstances, conditions, thus, in such wise, accordingly, that being the case, such being the case, in view of the circumstances, that being so, sith, since, seeing that, as matters stand, as things go, as times go, conditionally, provided, if, in case, if so, if so be, if it be so, depending on circumstances, in certain circumstances, under certain conditions, if it so happen, if it so turn out, in the event of, in such a contingency, in such a case, in such an event, provisionally, unless, without, according to circumstances, according to the occasion, as it may happen, as it may turn out, as it may be, as the case may be, as the wind blows, pro re nata, yet are my sins not those of circumstance.