modularis

Modularis is a Latin adjective meaning modular or pertaining to modules. In scientific naming, it is most often found as a species epithet rather than as a standalone taxon. The epithet modularis is used across a broad range of taxa, including plants, animals, and fungi, to indicate some aspect of modularity in the organism’s form or life cycle. Because it is a descriptive epithet, the precise implication varies by organism and by the taxonomist who described it; it may point to segmented body parts, a modular colony structure, or repeated, similarly shaped units.

In taxonomy, as with many Latin epithets, modularis does not define a single clade or lineage. Instead, it appears in multiple, unrelated groups, reflecting a characteristic observed by the describer rather than shared ancestry. The term emphasizes morphology over phylogeny.

In broader usage, modularis appears in engineering, architecture, and design-related contexts to describe systems built from discrete, interchangeable components. The common thread across uses is the emphasis on modular organization: units that can be combined or rearranged to form a whole.

Etymology: from Latin modularis, derived from modulus meaning a measure or unit, with the adjectival suffix -aris.