modal verb

B1 Topic:Grammar & Function Words

US /ˈmoʊdəl/ UK /ˈməʊdəl/ See IPA manual

Homophones

modal /ˈmoʊdəl/

Freq #135117

Meanings

1

noun
A helping verb such as 'can', 'must', or 'will' that shows ability, possibility, permission, or obligation.

In the sentence 'She can swim', 'can' is a modal verb.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a helping verb such as... modal auxiliarymodal auxiliary verb

More conditioning forming

Word family

Derived forms antimodalbimodalcrossmodaleigenmodalessive-modalextramodalheteromodalintermodalintramodalmetamodalmicromodalmodalise

Related forms mode model modeler moderate moderation moderator module modulus moodsemimodal

Etymology

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.

modal Middle French modālis la-med modus Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Grammar & Function Words Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# modal verb

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B1
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈmoʊdəl/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈməʊdəl/
**Frequency rank:** 135117

## Meanings
1. A helping verb such as 'can', 'must', or 'will' that shows ability, possibility, permission, or obligation.

## Examples
- In the sentence 'She can swim', 'can' is a modal verb.

## Synonyms
- conditioning
- forming

## Derived Forms
- antimodal
- bimodal
- crossmodal
- eigenmodal
- essive-modal
- extramodal
- heteromodal
- intermodal
- intramodal
- metamodal
- micromodal
- modalise

## Related Forms
- mode
- model
- modeler
- moderate
- moderation
- moderator
- module
- modulus
- mood
- semimodal

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: modal
- Root: modālis
- Root: modus

## Etymology
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.

## AI Etymology
Modal verb comes 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. In present-day English it covers a helping verb such as 'can', 'must', or 'will' that shows ability, possibility, permission, or obligation. The historical chain runs through modal (Middle French), modālis (la-med), and modus (Latin). Related and derived forms include mode, model, modeler, and antimodal.

## Topics
- Grammar & Function Words
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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