modal verb
/ˈmoʊ·dəl ˈvɜrb/ n [C] (also modal auxiliary /ˈmoʊ·dəl ɔgˈzɪl·jər·i/)Definition
› grammar a verb used with another verb to express an idea such as possibility that is not expressed by the main verb: The modal verbs in English are "can," "could," "may," "might," "must," "ought," "shall," "should," "will," and "would."
(Definition of modal verb n from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary
© Cambridge University Press)
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