| 释义 |
Definition of modal in English: modaladjective ˈməʊd(ə)lˈmoʊdl 1Relating to mode or form as opposed to substance. 形式的，方式的，样式的，形态的 Example sentencesExamples - The spokesman said the system was attracting people to public transport: ‘We are seeing quite a lot of modal shift from the car to the tram network.’
- He told the meeting: ‘It would be unbelievably crass to introduce a system without any other element of modal shift.’
- That is, a person's income does not vary by mode unless it is defined as net of modal costs.
- We are determined to achieve further modal shift (from cars to buses) and will continue to develop our services to do this.
- The objective of integrated public transport is clear - to achieve a high transit modal share with a seamless service using two or more modes.
- In the jargon of transport planners, there has occurred a substantial modal shift in transportation in these cities.
2Grammar
Of or denoting the mood of a verb. 〔语法〕语气的 Example sentencesExamples - One example of the prevalence of the traditional use of modal notions can be found in the early medieval de dicto/de re analysis of examples such as ‘A standing man can sit’.
- In contrast to the tense distinctions that characterize English, English-based Creoles are said to make a basic modal distinction between realis and irrealis.
- Holmes distinguishes two functions of tag questions: modal vs. affective.
- However, it's crucial that the second part of such a sentence (the apodosis of the conditional) normally also has a modal preterite, often would or could or might, but not will or can or may.
- 2.1 Relating to a modal verb.
情态动词的 Example sentencesExamples - Here a past modal form - would, could, should, might - is usually called for.
- Seventy-five Panjabi-speaking pupils were assessed on their expression of the English modal auxiliaries can, could, may, and might.
- If the modality concerns a past-time situation, the modal as such does not appear in a past-tense form.
- The modal auxiliaries or modal verbs are can, could, may, might, shall, should, will would, must.
3Statistics
Relating to a value that occurs most frequently in a given set of data. 〔统计〕众数的 Example sentencesExamples - Descriptive statistics such as frequencies and modal categories were then calculated for each variable.
- The Nardus root systems had a more normally distributed root length diameter class distribution with a modal diameter range between 0.3 mm and 0.6 mm.
- For both mutations the median and modal values were 25% opaque.
- These distributions for the variance components imply an a priori distribution of heritability and repeatability with respective modal values of 0.15 and 0.23.
- In the second microdeletion survey, participants examined from as few as 5 cells to as many as 100, but the modal number of cells examined was 20.
- However, if the income variable data were skewed, the median or modal value would be more appropriate.
4Music
Of or denoting music using melodies or harmonies based on modes other than the ordinary major and minor scales. 〔乐〕调式的 Example sentencesExamples - Its three highly creative pieces use alternating meters, compelling ostinatos, modal harmonies and, above all, unexpected twists and turns as the ‘plot’ of each piece unfolds.
- You knew how to find just the right dreamlike quality for the music, whose harmonic language is neither tonal, nor modal, nor truly chromatic, but a little of all three at the same time.
- We find also a fascination with Baroque counterpoint and modal melodies from Gregorian chant to Appalachian folk tunes.
- How might modern Western instruments be transformed for Arab music, say by retuning the piano for microtonal modal systems?
- There is a good deal of modal harmony, taken from Scandinavian folk music, which is comforting to the ear but far from anodyne.
5Logic
(of a proposition) in which the predicate is affirmed of the subject with some qualification, or which involves the affirmation of possibility, impossibility, necessity, or contingency. 〔逻〕（命题）模态的 Example sentencesExamples - To see that modal propositional logic is not truth-functional, just consider the following pair of statements.
- The three most important parts of this definition for quantified modal logic are the clauses for atomic, quantified, and modal formulas.
- In this connection, I describe certain modal paradoxes and the threats they pose for essentialism.
- Let the letter ‘M’ represent this operator, and add to the axioms of classical propositional logic the modal axiom M (p v q) iff Mp v Mq.
- The study of inferences involving modal operators goes back to Aristotle, and was continued in the Middle Ages.
- His arguments regarding this are presented in which also examines more generally his views on modal logic.
noun ˈməʊd(ə)lˈmoʊdl Grammar A modal word or construction. 〔语法〕情态动词；情态结构 Example sentencesExamples - These preferences often serve to clarify, but a less deft handling leads to tercets like the following, their force buried under prepositions, pronouns and modals.
- The other students, English majors all, seemed terrified by the prospect of a semester of moods and modals, subordinate clauses and predicate adjectives.
- All of these women's raps illustrate that they can do what they are doing, and by this I intend for both readings of the modal ‘can’ to be in effect.
- Coastal Southern and Upper South are typified by double modals: She might can do it; Could you may go?
- These complements contain modals and therefore can't be infinitives.
Derivativesadverb She habitually does it as part of her routine, which is defined by the co-existence of ontologically and modally different realities. Example sentencesExamples - He makes the harp sing modally (mainly Dorian and Phrygian, for those keeping score), although he continually changes the modes.
- ‘The Road Not Taken’ and ‘The Pasture’ sport two marvelous tunes, both modally inflected in a way that may remind some listeners of Vaughan Williams.
- The book differs from the article now within it both ideationally and modally.
- One such position was that essence and existence are modally or formally distinct, such that existence constitutes a mode or property of a thing's essence.
- Thus, when I say that Peter is a man, the thought by which I think of Peter differs modally from the thought by which I think of man, but in Peter himself being a man is nothing other than being Peter.
OriginMid 16th century (in sense 5 of the adjective): from medieval Latin modalis, from Latin modus (see mode). Definition of modal in US English: modaladjectiveˈmoʊdlˈmōdl 1Relating to mode or form as opposed to substance. 形式的，方式的，样式的，形态的 Example sentencesExamples - We are determined to achieve further modal shift (from cars to buses) and will continue to develop our services to do this.
- In the jargon of transport planners, there has occurred a substantial modal shift in transportation in these cities.
- The spokesman said the system was attracting people to public transport: ‘We are seeing quite a lot of modal shift from the car to the tram network.’
- He told the meeting: ‘It would be unbelievably crass to introduce a system without any other element of modal shift.’
- The objective of integrated public transport is clear - to achieve a high transit modal share with a seamless service using two or more modes.
- That is, a person's income does not vary by mode unless it is defined as net of modal costs.
2Grammar
Of or denoting the mood of a verb. 〔语法〕语气的 Example sentencesExamples - Holmes distinguishes two functions of tag questions: modal vs. affective.
- However, it's crucial that the second part of such a sentence (the apodosis of the conditional) normally also has a modal preterite, often would or could or might, but not will or can or may.
- In contrast to the tense distinctions that characterize English, English-based Creoles are said to make a basic modal distinction between realis and irrealis.
- One example of the prevalence of the traditional use of modal notions can be found in the early medieval de dicto/de re analysis of examples such as ‘A standing man can sit’.
- 2.1 Relating to a modal verb.
情态动词的 Example sentencesExamples - Seventy-five Panjabi-speaking pupils were assessed on their expression of the English modal auxiliaries can, could, may, and might.
- If the modality concerns a past-time situation, the modal as such does not appear in a past-tense form.
- Here a past modal form - would, could, should, might - is usually called for.
- The modal auxiliaries or modal verbs are can, could, may, might, shall, should, will would, must.
3Statistics
Relating to a mode; occurring most frequently in a sample or population. 〔统计〕众数的 Example sentencesExamples - In the second microdeletion survey, participants examined from as few as 5 cells to as many as 100, but the modal number of cells examined was 20.
- Descriptive statistics such as frequencies and modal categories were then calculated for each variable.
- These distributions for the variance components imply an a priori distribution of heritability and repeatability with respective modal values of 0.15 and 0.23.
- However, if the income variable data were skewed, the median or modal value would be more appropriate.
- For both mutations the median and modal values were 25% opaque.
- The Nardus root systems had a more normally distributed root length diameter class distribution with a modal diameter range between 0.3 mm and 0.6 mm.
4Music
Of or denoting music using melodies or harmonies based on modes other than the ordinary major and minor scales. 〔乐〕调式的 Example sentencesExamples - You knew how to find just the right dreamlike quality for the music, whose harmonic language is neither tonal, nor modal, nor truly chromatic, but a little of all three at the same time.
- How might modern Western instruments be transformed for Arab music, say by retuning the piano for microtonal modal systems?
- We find also a fascination with Baroque counterpoint and modal melodies from Gregorian chant to Appalachian folk tunes.
- There is a good deal of modal harmony, taken from Scandinavian folk music, which is comforting to the ear but far from anodyne.
- Its three highly creative pieces use alternating meters, compelling ostinatos, modal harmonies and, above all, unexpected twists and turns as the ‘plot’ of each piece unfolds.
5Logic
(of a proposition) in which the predicate is affirmed of the subject with some qualification, or which involves the affirmation of possibility, impossibility, necessity, or contingency. 〔逻〕（命题）模态的 Example sentencesExamples - Let the letter ‘M’ represent this operator, and add to the axioms of classical propositional logic the modal axiom M (p v q) iff Mp v Mq.
- To see that modal propositional logic is not truth-functional, just consider the following pair of statements.
- The study of inferences involving modal operators goes back to Aristotle, and was continued in the Middle Ages.
- The three most important parts of this definition for quantified modal logic are the clauses for atomic, quantified, and modal formulas.
- His arguments regarding this are presented in which also examines more generally his views on modal logic.
- In this connection, I describe certain modal paradoxes and the threats they pose for essentialism.
nounˈmoʊdlˈmōdl Grammar A modal word or construction. 〔语法〕情态动词；情态结构 Example sentencesExamples - Coastal Southern and Upper South are typified by double modals: She might can do it; Could you may go?
- These preferences often serve to clarify, but a less deft handling leads to tercets like the following, their force buried under prepositions, pronouns and modals.
- These complements contain modals and therefore can't be infinitives.
- The other students, English majors all, seemed terrified by the prospect of a semester of moods and modals, subordinate clauses and predicate adjectives.
- All of these women's raps illustrate that they can do what they are doing, and by this I intend for both readings of the modal ‘can’ to be in effect.
OriginMid 16th century (in modal (sense 5 of the adjective)): from medieval Latin modalis, from Latin modus (see mode). |