I. ˈmōd ə l adjective
Etymology: Medieval Latin modalis, from Latin modus measure, manner + -alis -al — more at mete
1. : of or relating to mode or modality in logic
2. : containing provisions as to the mode of procedure or the manner of taking effect — used of a contract or legacy
3. : of or relating to a musical mode ; specifically : written in one of the ecclesiastical modes
uses diatonic harmonies with a modal flavor — Humphrey Searle
4. : of or relating to form as opposed to substance : having form without reality
5.
a. : of, relating to, or constituting a grammatical form or category characteristically indicating predication of an action or state in some manner other than as a simple fact
b. : of, relating to, or constituting a grammatical case that denotes manner
6. : of or relating to a statistical mode : most common : typical
the anthropologist's modal concept of culture pattern which is based upon observations of what most people seem to be doing — Jacob Fried
has produced his first novel at the age of sixty … approximately thirty years after the modal American novelist reaches his peak — J.K.Galbraith
7. : of or relating to modalism
• mod·al·ly - ə lē, -li adverb
II. noun
( -s )
1. : a modal proposition or statement in logic
2. : a grammatical form belonging to a class of words or inflectional affixes with a modal function ; specifically : a modal auxiliary in English grammar