nonmodal

Nonmodal is an adjective used across several disciplines to indicate the absence of modality or a fixed mode. In computing and user experience, nonmodal describes interfaces, dialogs, or windows that do not require users to interact with them before returning to other tasks. Nonmodal elements allow continued interaction with the rest of the application, as opposed to modal elements that block work until dismissed. Examples include nonmodal tool palettes, help balloons, or notification panels. Design considerations emphasize discoverability, focus management, and accessibility; nonmodal components should not trap keyboard focus and should provide clear ways to dismiss or update the element.

In linguistics, nonmodal refers to verbs or constructions that do not express modality such as possibility, necessity, or obligation. This contrasts with modal verbs like can, may, must, and with other modal expressions. Nonmodal forms typically convey tense, aspect, or voice rather than modality, though languages may combine nonmodal syntax with modal meaning in context.

In musicology, nonmodal can describe music that does not adhere to a traditional modal (scale-based) framework, or music that uses tonal systems rather than church modes. The term appears in discussions of stylistic approaches that move beyond modal constraints, including certain modern or experimental compositions.

Overall, nonmodal serves as a broad label for things that are not defined by a specific mode or modality, applied to technology, language, and music to highlight the absence of a governing modal constraint.