"modal verb" meaning in English

See modal verb in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

Forms: modal verbs [plural]
Head templates: {{en-noun}} modal verb (plural modal verbs)
  1. (grammar) A verb whose primary function is to express grammatical mood. Wikipedia link: modal verb Categories (topical): Grammar Synonyms: modal, modal auxiliary, modal auxiliary verb Related terms: auxiliary, auxiliary verb, helping verb, semimodal, central modal Translations: verb modal [masculine] (Catalan), 情態動詞 (Chinese Mandarin), 情态动词 (qíngtài dòngcí) (Chinese Mandarin), modální sloveso [neuter] (Czech), způsobové sloveso [neuter] (Czech), modalverbum [neuter] (Danish), mådesudsagnsord [neuter] (Danish), modaal werkwoord [neuter] (Dutch), modaalinen verbi (Finnish), modal [masculine] (French), verbe modal [masculine] (French), Modalverb [neuter] (German), Modalverbum [neuter] (German), modális/módbeliige (segéd) (Hungarian), briathar cúntach [masculine] (Irish), verbo servile [masculine] (Italian), verbo modale [masculine] (Italian), 法動詞 (hōdōshi) (alt: ほうどうし) (Japanese), 法助動詞 (hōjodōshi) (alt: ほうじょどうし) [auxiliary, modal] (Japanese), мо́дален гла́гол (módalen glágol) [masculine] (Macedonian), баймж үйл үг (bajmž üjl üg) [Cyrillic] (Mongolian), хандлага үйл үг (xandlaga üjl üg) [China, Cyrillic] (Mongolian), ᠪᠠᠶᠢᠮᠵᠢ ᠦᠢᠯᠡ ᠦᠭᠡ (bayimǰi üile üge) [Mongolian] (Mongolian), ᠬᠠᠨᠳᠤᠯᠭ᠎ᠠ ᠦᠢᠯᠡ ᠦᠭᠡ (qandulg-a üile üge) [Mongolian] (Mongolian), czasownik modalny [masculine] (Polish), verbo modal [masculine] (Portuguese), мода́льный глаго́л (modálʹnyj glagól) [masculine] (Russian), начински гла̏гол [Cyrillic, masculine] (Serbo-Croatian), модални гла̏гол [Cyrillic, masculine] (Serbo-Croatian), načinski glȁgol [Roman, masculine] (Serbo-Croatian), modalni glȁgol [Roman, masculine] (Serbo-Croatian), modalni glagol [masculine] (Slovene), verbo modal [masculine] (Spanish), modalt hjälpverb [neuter] (Swedish), мода́льне дієсло́во (modálʹne dijeslóvo) [neuter] (Ukrainian)

Inflected forms

{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "modal verbs",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "modal verb (plural modal verbs)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
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        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
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        },
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        },
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            "Terms with redundant transliterations",
            "Entry maintenance"
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          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
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        },
        {
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        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
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        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Hungarian translations",
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        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Irish translations",
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          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Italian translations",
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        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Japanese translations",
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        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Macedonian translations",
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        {
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          "name": "Terms with Mongolian translations",
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          "name": "Terms with Polish translations",
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        {
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            "Society",
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        {
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          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Verbs",
          "orig": "en:Verbs",
          "parents": [
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        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2019, Irina S. Lebedeva, Svetlana N. Orlova, “Semantics and pragmatics of the double modal ‘might could’”, in Training, Language and Culture, volume 3, number 2, →DOI:",
          "text": "Although at first glance combinations of two modal verbs might seem to be cases of grammatical distortion, their use is scientifically recognised.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A verb whose primary function is to express grammatical mood."
      ],
      "id": "en-modal_verb-en-noun-Etupfzpw",
      "links": [
        [
          "grammar",
          "grammar"
        ],
        [
          "verb",
          "verb"
        ],
        [
          "mood",
          "mood"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(grammar) A verb whose primary function is to express grammatical mood."
      ],
      "related": [
        {
          "word": "auxiliary"
        },
        {
          "word": "auxiliary verb"
        },
        {
          "word": "helping verb"
        },
        {
          "word": "semimodal"
        },
        {
          "word": "central modal"
        }
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "modal"
        },
        {
          "word": "modal auxiliary"
        },
        {
          "word": "modal auxiliary verb"
        }
      ],
      "topics": [
        "grammar",
        "human-sciences",
        "linguistics",
        "sciences"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "code": "ca",
          "lang": "Catalan",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "verb modal"
        },
        {
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "word": "情態動詞"
        },
        {
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "roman": "qíngtài dòngcí",
          "word": "情态动词"
        },
        {
          "code": "cs",
          "lang": "Czech",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "modální sloveso"
        },
        {
          "code": "cs",
          "lang": "Czech",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "způsobové sloveso"
        },
        {
          "code": "da",
          "lang": "Danish",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "modalverbum"
        },
        {
          "code": "da",
          "lang": "Danish",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "mådesudsagnsord"
        },
        {
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "modaal werkwoord"
        },
        {
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "word": "modaalinen verbi"
        },
        {
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "modal"
        },
        {
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "verbe modal"
        },
        {
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "Modalverb"
        },
        {
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "Modalverbum"
        },
        {
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "word": "modális/módbeliige (segéd)"
        },
        {
          "code": "ga",
          "lang": "Irish",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "briathar cúntach"
        },
        {
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "verbo servile"
        },
        {
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "verbo modale"
        },
        {
          "alt": "ほうどうし",
          "code": "ja",
          "lang": "Japanese",
          "roman": "hōdōshi",
          "word": "法動詞"
        },
        {
          "alt": "ほうじょどうし",
          "code": "ja",
          "lang": "Japanese",
          "roman": "hōjodōshi",
          "tags": [
            "auxiliary",
            "modal"
          ],
          "word": "法助動詞"
        },
        {
          "code": "mk",
          "lang": "Macedonian",
          "roman": "módalen glágol",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "мо́дален гла́гол"
        },
        {
          "code": "mn",
          "lang": "Mongolian",
          "roman": "bajmž üjl üg",
          "tags": [
            "Cyrillic"
          ],
          "word": "баймж үйл үг"
        },
        {
          "code": "mn",
          "lang": "Mongolian",
          "roman": "xandlaga üjl üg",
          "tags": [
            "China",
            "Cyrillic"
          ],
          "word": "хандлага үйл үг"
        },
        {
          "code": "mn",
          "lang": "Mongolian",
          "roman": "bayimǰi üile üge",
          "tags": [
            "Mongolian"
          ],
          "word": "ᠪᠠᠶᠢᠮᠵᠢ ᠦᠢᠯᠡ ᠦᠭᠡ"
        },
        {
          "code": "mn",
          "lang": "Mongolian",
          "roman": "qandulg-a üile üge",
          "tags": [
            "Mongolian"
          ],
          "word": "ᠬᠠᠨᠳᠤᠯᠭ᠎ᠠ ᠦᠢᠯᠡ ᠦᠭᠡ"
        },
        {
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "czasownik modalny"
        },
        {
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "verbo modal"
        },
        {
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "modálʹnyj glagól",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "мода́льный глаго́л"
        },
        {
          "code": "sh",
          "lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
          "tags": [
            "Cyrillic",
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "начински гла̏гол"
        },
        {
          "code": "sh",
          "lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
          "tags": [
            "Cyrillic",
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "модални гла̏гол"
        },
        {
          "code": "sh",
          "lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
          "tags": [
            "Roman",
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "načinski glȁgol"
        },
        {
          "code": "sh",
          "lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
          "tags": [
            "Roman",
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "modalni glȁgol"
        },
        {
          "code": "sl",
          "lang": "Slovene",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "modalni glagol"
        },
        {
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "verbo modal"
        },
        {
          "code": "sv",
          "lang": "Swedish",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "modalt hjälpverb"
        },
        {
          "code": "uk",
          "lang": "Ukrainian",
          "roman": "modálʹne dijeslóvo",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "мода́льне дієсло́во"
        }
      ],
      "wikipedia": [
        "modal verb"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "modal verb"
}
{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "modal verbs",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "modal verb (plural modal verbs)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "auxiliary"
    },
    {
      "word": "auxiliary verb"
    },
    {
      "word": "helping verb"
    },
    {
      "word": "semimodal"
    },
    {
      "word": "central modal"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English countable nouns",
        "English entries with incorrect language header",
        "English lemmas",
        "English multiword terms",
        "English nouns",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "Entries with translation boxes",
        "Mandarin terms with redundant transliterations",
        "Pages with 1 entry",
        "Pages with entries",
        "Terms with Catalan translations",
        "Terms with Czech translations",
        "Terms with Danish translations",
        "Terms with Dutch translations",
        "Terms with Finnish translations",
        "Terms with French translations",
        "Terms with German translations",
        "Terms with Hungarian translations",
        "Terms with Irish translations",
        "Terms with Italian translations",
        "Terms with Japanese translations",
        "Terms with Macedonian translations",
        "Terms with Mandarin translations",
        "Terms with Mongolian translations",
        "Terms with Polish translations",
        "Terms with Portuguese translations",
        "Terms with Russian translations",
        "Terms with Serbo-Croatian translations",
        "Terms with Slovene translations",
        "Terms with Spanish translations",
        "Terms with Swedish translations",
        "Terms with Ukrainian translations",
        "en:Grammar",
        "en:Verbs"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2019, Irina S. Lebedeva, Svetlana N. Orlova, “Semantics and pragmatics of the double modal ‘might could’”, in Training, Language and Culture, volume 3, number 2, →DOI:",
          "text": "Although at first glance combinations of two modal verbs might seem to be cases of grammatical distortion, their use is scientifically recognised.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A verb whose primary function is to express grammatical mood."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "grammar",
          "grammar"
        ],
        [
          "verb",
          "verb"
        ],
        [
          "mood",
          "mood"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(grammar) A verb whose primary function is to express grammatical mood."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "modal"
        },
        {
          "word": "modal auxiliary"
        },
        {
          "word": "modal auxiliary verb"
        }
      ],
      "topics": [
        "grammar",
        "human-sciences",
        "linguistics",
        "sciences"
      ],
      "wikipedia": [
        "modal verb"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "ca",
      "lang": "Catalan",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "verb modal"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "word": "情態動詞"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "qíngtài dòngcí",
      "word": "情态动词"
    },
    {
      "code": "cs",
      "lang": "Czech",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "modální sloveso"
    },
    {
      "code": "cs",
      "lang": "Czech",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "způsobové sloveso"
    },
    {
      "code": "da",
      "lang": "Danish",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "modalverbum"
    },
    {
      "code": "da",
      "lang": "Danish",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "mådesudsagnsord"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "modaal werkwoord"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "word": "modaalinen verbi"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "modal"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "verbe modal"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "Modalverb"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "Modalverbum"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "word": "modális/módbeliige (segéd)"
    },
    {
      "code": "ga",
      "lang": "Irish",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "briathar cúntach"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "verbo servile"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "verbo modale"
    },
    {
      "alt": "ほうどうし",
      "code": "ja",
      "lang": "Japanese",
      "roman": "hōdōshi",
      "word": "法動詞"
    },
    {
      "alt": "ほうじょどうし",
      "code": "ja",
      "lang": "Japanese",
      "roman": "hōjodōshi",
      "tags": [
        "auxiliary",
        "modal"
      ],
      "word": "法助動詞"
    },
    {
      "code": "mk",
      "lang": "Macedonian",
      "roman": "módalen glágol",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "мо́дален гла́гол"
    },
    {
      "code": "mn",
      "lang": "Mongolian",
      "roman": "bajmž üjl üg",
      "tags": [
        "Cyrillic"
      ],
      "word": "баймж үйл үг"
    },
    {
      "code": "mn",
      "lang": "Mongolian",
      "roman": "xandlaga üjl üg",
      "tags": [
        "China",
        "Cyrillic"
      ],
      "word": "хандлага үйл үг"
    },
    {
      "code": "mn",
      "lang": "Mongolian",
      "roman": "bayimǰi üile üge",
      "tags": [
        "Mongolian"
      ],
      "word": "ᠪᠠᠶᠢᠮᠵᠢ ᠦᠢᠯᠡ ᠦᠭᠡ"
    },
    {
      "code": "mn",
      "lang": "Mongolian",
      "roman": "qandulg-a üile üge",
      "tags": [
        "Mongolian"
      ],
      "word": "ᠬᠠᠨᠳᠤᠯᠭ᠎ᠠ ᠦᠢᠯᠡ ᠦᠭᠡ"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "czasownik modalny"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "verbo modal"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "modálʹnyj glagól",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "мода́льный глаго́л"
    },
    {
      "code": "sh",
      "lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
      "tags": [
        "Cyrillic",
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "начински гла̏гол"
    },
    {
      "code": "sh",
      "lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
      "tags": [
        "Cyrillic",
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "модални гла̏гол"
    },
    {
      "code": "sh",
      "lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
      "tags": [
        "Roman",
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "načinski glȁgol"
    },
    {
      "code": "sh",
      "lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
      "tags": [
        "Roman",
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "modalni glȁgol"
    },
    {
      "code": "sl",
      "lang": "Slovene",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "modalni glagol"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "verbo modal"
    },
    {
      "code": "sv",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "modalt hjälpverb"
    },
    {
      "code": "uk",
      "lang": "Ukrainian",
      "roman": "modálʹne dijeslóvo",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "мода́льне дієсло́во"
    }
  ],
  "word": "modal verb"
}

Download raw JSONL data for modal verb meaning in English (5.6kB)

{
  "called_from": "page/2517",
  "msg": "UNIMPLEMENTED parse_translation_template: trans-top-see {1: 'a verb whose primary function is to express grammatical mood', 2: 'modal auxiliary'}",
  "path": [
    "modal verb",
    "trans-top-see"
  ],
  "section": "English",
  "subsection": "noun",
  "title": "modal verb",
  "trace": ""
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-11-06 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-10-02 using wiktextract (fbeafe8 and 7f03c9b). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.