modal

7 synonyms for modal, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.

Noun — In software and web design, a window or box that opens on top of a page and blocks interaction with everything behind it until you close it or respond.

Synonyms

Everyday swaps

Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.

average

Rare, literary or technical

Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.

dialog dialogue box lightbox popup modal verb modal auxiliary

Synonyms by Meaning

1. noun computing

In software and web design, a window or box that opens on top of a page and blocks interaction with everything behind it until you close it or respond.

“Clicking the button opens a modal asking you to confirm.”

dialog dialogue box lightbox popup

2. noun grammar

In grammar, an auxiliary verb such as can, may, must, should or would, which expresses possibility, permission, obligation or necessity.

“Modals are followed by the bare infinitive, as in 'she must go'.”

modal verb modal auxiliary

3. adjective

Relating to a mode or manner of doing something; in statistics, relating to the mode, the most frequently occurring value in a set.

“The modal age of a first-time buyer is now thirty-four.”

average

How to use modal

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

open a modal modal window modal verb modal value modal class

Meaning depends entirely on field: computing, grammar or statistics.

Etymology

From medieval Latin modalis, from Latin modus 'measure, manner, mode'.

Full origin of modal →

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a modal and a popup?

A modal blocks the rest of the interface until you deal with it, so you must close or answer it before continuing. A popup is a looser term for any window that appears over content, including ones you can simply ignore.

What are the modal verbs in English?

The core modals are can, could, may, might, must, shall, should, will and would. Semi-modals such as ought to, need and dare behave similarly but not identically.

What does modal mean in statistics?

It means relating to the mode, the value that appears most often in a data set. The modal class in a frequency table is the group with the highest count.

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average dialog lightbox

Nearby words

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