1560s, term in logic, from Middle French modal and directly from Medieval Latin modalis "of or pertaining to a mode," from Latin modus "measure, manner, mode" (see mode (n.1)). Musical sense is from 1590s.
雙語例句
1. The results confirmed his hypothesis on the use of modal verbs.
結果證實了他的關于情態動詞用法的假設.
來自《簡明英漢詞典》
2. Modal verbs generally take the bare infinitive.
情態動詞通常用不帶to的不定式.
來自《簡明英漢詞典》
3. Modeless dialogs are less common than their modal siblings.
另一種對話框稱為“非模態對話框”,它不如同胞姐妹模態對話框那么常見.
來自About Face 3交互設計精髓
4. Property dialog boxes can be either modal or modeless.
屬性對話框可以是模態的,也可以是非模態的.
來自About Face 3交互設計精髓
5. Visually differentiate modeless dialogs from modal dialogs.