American Dictionary
Definition modal verb in American English
modal verb noun
[countable] noun
1
a verb such as "must", "may", "could", or "would", that is used with another verb to express ideas such as obligation, permission, possibility, and intention. For example in the sentences "I can imagine what he would say to that" and "Appointments should be made a week in advance", "can", "would", and "should" are modal verbs.
Synonyms and related words
