modalis

Modalis is a Latin adjective meaning "pertaining to mode or manner" and is used in various scientific and scholarly terms. The root is related to modus, meaning "mode" or "way," and the suffix -alis marks attribution. In linguistic and philosophical contexts, the term underlies the modern English word modal as in modality: the expression of possibility, necessity, or obligation.

In grammars influenced by Latin terminology, forms described as modalis or described by mood are used to categorize verb forms that convey modality, such as potential, obligation, or epistemic stance. In philosophy and logic, modality concerns concepts of necessity and possibility, and modal logic treats these operators with formal systems; the Latin adjective appears in historical discussions and in the naming of some concepts and theses.

In taxonomy, modalis is a common species epithet in zoology and botany, appearing across diverse genera. As with many Latin epithets, its exact meaning is contextual and can reference a perceived characteristic, a place, or a person associated with the species' discovery. Because it is a generic Latin adjective, its use is not restricted to a single domain.

See also: Modal logic, Modality, Modality (philosophy), Latin adjectives in biological nomenclature.