1. Plural of modal; auxiliary verbs (such as can, could, may, might, must, shall, should, will, would) that express mood, necessity, possibility, or permission.
Usage: Grammar term; Also called modal verbs or modal auxiliaries
2. In music and statistics, plural of modal; relating to or based on a mode or modes.
Usage: Technical/specialized usage

1. Of, relating to, or expressed by a modal or modals.
Usage: Grammar and music contexts

Examples

• In English grammar, modals like 'can' and 'must' are used to express ability and obligation.
• The sentence 'You should arrive on time' contains one of the most common modals.
• Modals differ from regular verbs because they do not change form based on the subject.
• Students often struggle to understand when to use different modals in their writing.
• The modals 'may' and 'might' both express possibility, but 'might' suggests less certainty.
• In music theory, modals refer to the different modes derived from a scale.