modular

English

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *med-

Proto-Indo-European *-os

Proto-Indo-European *médos

Proto-Italic *medos

Latin modus

Proto-Indo-European *-lós

Proto-Indo-European *-elós

Proto-Italic *-elos

Latin -ulus

Latin moduluslbor.

French modulebor.

English module

Proto-Indo-European *h₂el-

Proto-Indo-European *-is

Proto-Indo-European *h₂élisder.?

Proto-Italic *-ālis

Latin -ālis

Latin -ārisbor.

English -ar

English modular

From module + -ar.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈmɒdjʊlə(ɹ)/
• (General American, Atlantic Canada) IPA^(key): /ˈmɑd͡ʒəlɚ/

  • Audio (Midwestern US):

    (file)

• (Canada, Boston, Maine) IPA^(key): /ˈmɒd͡ʒəlɚ/

Adjective

modular (not comparable)

1. Consisting of separate modules; especially where each module performs or fulfills some specified function and could be replaced by a similar module for the same function, independently of the other modules.

   Antonym: monolithic

   • 2023 July 18, Joe Middleton, “Shapps announces £157m in grants at launch of new UK nuclear body”, in The Guardian‎^[1]:

     It is hoped that a competition to develop small modular reactors (SMRs) will drive billions of pounds of investment into the technology, which the government hopes will be cheaper and quicker to build than traditional large nuclear power plants.

2. (chiefly mathematics) Of or relating to a module or modules.
3. Relating to mode or modulation.

Derived terms

• antimodular
• bimodular
• dimodular
• extramodular
• immunomodular
• intermodular
• intramodular
• micromodular
• modular arithmetic
• modular building
• modular calculus
• modular design
• modular form
• modular home
• modularisation
• modularism
• modularist
• modularity
• modularization
• modularly
• modular programming
• modular smartphone
• monomodular
• multimodular
• nonmodular
• orthomodular
• paramodular
• premodular
• protomodular
• quasimodular
• semimodular
• submodular
• supermodular
• supramodular
• tetramodular
• trimodular
• unimodular

Related terms

• modularize/modularise
• module
• modularized

Translations

of or relating to a module or modules

• Bulgarian: модулен (modulen)
• Czech: modulární
• Dutch: modulair (nl)
• Dutch: modulair (nl)
• Finnish: moduuli- (fi), modulaarinen (fi)
• French: modulaire (fr)
• German: modular (de)
• Greek: δομοστοιχειωτός (el) m (domostoicheiotós), δομοστοιχειακός m (domostoicheiakós)
• Hebrew: פִּרְקָנִי m (pirkaní) (puristic), מוֹדוּלָרִי m (modulári) (loanword)
• Latin: modulāris
• Polish: modułowy (pl) m
• Portuguese: modular (pt)
• Russian: модульный (ru) (modulʹnyj)
• Swedish: modul-

Anagrams

• moulard

Catalan

Etymology 1

From mòdul +‎ -ar.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Northern, Central) [mu.ðuˈlar]
• IPA^(key): (Balearic) [mo.ðuˈla]
• IPA^(key): (Valencia) [mo.ðuˈlaɾ]
• IPA^(key): (Northwestern) [mo.ðuˈlar]

Adjective

modular m or f (masculine and feminine plural modulars)

1. modular

Etymology 2

Learned borrowing from Latin modulārī.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Northern, Central) [mu.ðuˈla]
• IPA^(key): (Balearic, Northwestern) [mo.ðuˈla]
• IPA^(key): (Valencia) [mo.ðuˈlaɾ]

Verb

modular (first-person singular present modulo, first-person singular preterite modulí, past participle modulat)

1. to modulate

Conjugation

    Central Catalan conjugation of modular (first conjugation)

infinitive			modular
gerund			modulant
past participle				masculine		feminine
		singular		modulat		modulada
		plural		modulats		modulades
person		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
indicative		jo	tu	ell/ella vostè	nosaltres nós	vosaltres vós	ells/elles vostès
	present	modulo	modules	modula	modulem	moduleu	modulen
	imperfect	modulava	modulaves	modulava	modulàvem	modulàveu	modulaven
	future	modularé	modularàs	modularà	modularem	modulareu	modularan
	preterite	modulí	modulares	modulà	modulàrem	modulàreu	modularen
	conditional	modularia	modularies	modularia	modularíem	modularíeu	modularien
subjunctive		jo	tu	ell/ella vostè	nosaltres nós	vosaltres vós	ells/elles vostès
	present	moduli	modulis	moduli	modulem	moduleu	modulin
	imperfect	modulés	modulessis	modulés	moduléssim	moduléssiu	modulessin
imperative		—	tu	vostè	nosaltres	vosaltres vós	vostès
	affirmative	—	modula	moduli	modulem	moduleu	modulin
	negative (no)	—	no modulis	no moduli	no modulem	no moduleu	no modulin

Derived terms

• freqüència modulada
• modulació

Galician

Verb

modular (first-person singular present modulo, first-person singular preterite modulei, past participle modulado)

1. to modulate

Conjugation

    Conjugation of modular

	Singular			Plural
	First-person (eu)	Second-person (ti)	Third-person (el / ela / Vde.)	First-person (nós)	Second-person (vós)	Third-person (eles / elas / Vdes.)
Infinitive
Impersonal	modular
Personal	modular	modulares	modular	modularmos	modulardes	modularen
Gerund
	modulando
Past participle
Masculine	modulado			modulados
Feminine	modulada			moduladas
Indicative
Present	modulo	modulas	modula	modulamos	modulades	modulan
Imperfect	modulaba	modulabas	modulaba	modulabamos	modulabades	modulaban
Preterite	modulei	modulaches	modulou	modulamos	modulastes	modularon
Pluperfect	modulara	modularas	modulara	modularamos	modularades	modularan
Future	modularei	modularás	modulará	modularemos	modularedes	modularán
Conditional	modularía	modularías	modularía	modulariamos	modulariades	modularían
Subjunctive
Present	module	modules	module	modulemos	moduledes	modulen
Imperfect	modulase	modulases	modulase	modulásemos	modulásedes	modulasen
Future	modular	modulares	modular	modularmos	modulardes	modularen
Imperative
Affirmative		modula	module	modulemos	modulade	modulen
Negative (non)		non modules	non module	non modulemos	non moduledes	non modulen

    Reintegrated conjugation of modular (See Appendix:Reintegrationism)

	Singular			Plural
	First-person (eu)	Second-person (ti / tu)	Third-person (ele / ela / você)	First-person (nós)	Second-person (vós)	Third-person (eles / elas / vocês)
Infinitive
Impersonal	modular
Personal	modular	modulares	modular	modularmos	modulardes	modularem
Gerund
	modulando
Past participle
Masculine	modulado			modulados
Feminine	modulada			moduladas
Indicative
Present	modulo	modulas	modula	modulamos	modulades, modulais	modulam
Imperfect	modulava	modulavas	modulava	modulávamos	modulávades, moduláveis, modulávais1	modulavam
Preterite	modulei	modulaste, modulache1	modulou	modulamos	modulastes	modulárom, modularam
Pluperfect	modulara	modularas	modulara	moduláramos	modulárades, moduláreis, modulárais1	modularam
Future	modularei	modularás	modulará	modularemos	modularedes, modulareis	modularám, modularão
Conditional	modularia	modularias	modularia	modularíamos	modularíades, modularíeis, modularíais1	modulariam
Subjunctive
Present	module	modules	module	modulemos	moduledes, moduleis	modulem
Imperfect	modulasse	modulasses	modulasse	modulássemos	modulássedes, modulásseis	modulassem
Future	modular	modulares	modular	modularmos	modulardes	modularem
Imperative
Affirmative		modula	module	modulemos	modulade, modulai	modulem
Negative (nom)		nom modules	nom module	nom modulemos	nom moduledes, nom moduleis	nom modulem

¹Less recommended.

Related terms

• modulación

German

Pronunciation

• Audio (Austria):

  (file)

• Audio (Germany (Berlin)):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aːɐ̯

Adjective

modular (strong nominative masculine singular modularer, comparative modularer, superlative am modularsten)

1. modular

Declension

Positive forms of modular number & gender singular plural masculine feminine neuter predicative er ist modular sie ist modular es ist modular sie sind modular strong declension (without article) nominative modularer modulare modulares modulare genitive modularen modularer modularen modularer dative modularem modularer modularem modularen accusative modularen modulare modulares modulare weak declension (with definite article) nominative der modulare die modulare das modulare die modularen genitive des modularen der modularen des modularen der modularen dative dem modularen der modularen dem modularen den modularen accusative den modularen die modulare das modulare die modularen mixed declension (with indefinite article) nominative ein modularer eine modulare ein modulares (keine) modularen genitive eines modularen einer modularen eines modularen (keiner) modularen dative einem modularen einer modularen einem modularen (keinen) modularen accusative einen modularen eine modulare ein modulares (keine) modularen Comparative forms of modular number & gender singular plural masculine feminine neuter predicative er ist modularer sie ist modularer es ist modularer sie sind modularer strong declension (without article) nominative modularerer modularere modulareres modularere genitive modulareren modularerer modulareren modularerer dative modularerem modularerer modularerem modulareren accusative modulareren modularere modulareres modularere weak declension (with definite article) nominative der modularere die modularere das modularere die modulareren genitive des modulareren der modulareren des modulareren der modulareren dative dem modulareren der modulareren dem modulareren den modulareren accusative den modulareren die modularere das modularere die modulareren mixed declension (with indefinite article) nominative ein modularerer eine modularere ein modulareres (keine) modulareren genitive eines modulareren einer modulareren eines modulareren (keiner) modulareren dative einem modulareren einer modulareren einem modulareren (keinen) modulareren accusative einen modulareren eine modularere ein modulareres (keine) modulareren Superlative forms of modular number & gender singular plural masculine feminine neuter predicative er ist am modularsten sie ist am modularsten es ist am modularsten sie sind am modularsten strong declension (without article) nominative modularster modularste modularstes modularste genitive modularsten modularster modularsten modularster dative modularstem modularster modularstem modularsten accusative modularsten modularste modularstes modularste weak declension (with definite article) nominative der modularste die modularste das modularste die modularsten genitive des modularsten der modularsten des modularsten der modularsten dative dem modularsten der modularsten dem modularsten den modularsten accusative den modularsten die modularste das modularste die modularsten mixed declension (with indefinite article) nominative ein modularster eine modularste ein modularstes (keine) modularsten genitive eines modularsten einer modularsten eines modularsten (keiner) modularsten dative einem modularsten einer modularsten einem modularsten (keinen) modularsten accusative einen modularsten eine modularste ein modularstes (keine) modularsten

Related terms

• modularisieren

Further reading

• “modular” in Duden online
• “modular”, in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache‎^[2] (in German)

Interlingua

Verb

modular

1. to modulate

Conjugation

    Conjugation of modular

infinitive		modular
participle		present	perfect
		modulante	modulate
active		simple	perfect
	present	modula	ha modulate
	past	modulava	habeva modulate
	future	modulara	habera modulate
	conditional	modularea	haberea modulate
	imperative	modula	—
passive		simple	perfect
	present	es modulate	ha essite modulate
	past	esseva modulate	habeva essite modulate
	future	essera modulate	habera essite modulate
	conditional	esserea modulate	haberea essite modulate
	imperative	sia modulate	—

Portuguese

Etymology 1

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /mo.duˈlaʁ/ [mo.duˈlah]

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /mo.duˈlaʁ/ [mo.duˈlah]
  • (São Paulo) IPA^(key): /mo.duˈlaɾ/
  • (Rio de Janeiro) IPA^(key): /mo.duˈlaʁ/ [mo.duˈlaχ]
  • (Caipira) IPA^(key): /mo.duˈlaɻ/

 

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /mu.duˈlaɾ/ [mu.ðuˈlaɾ]

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /mu.duˈlaɾ/ [mu.ðuˈlaɾ]
  • (Southern Portugal) IPA^(key): /mu.duˈla.ɾi/

Adjective

modular m or f (plural modulares)

1. modular (consisting of modules)

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /mo.duˈla(ʁ)/ [mo.duˈla(h)]

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /mo.duˈla(ʁ)/ [mo.duˈla(h)]
  • (São Paulo) IPA^(key): /mo.duˈla(ɾ)/
  • (Rio de Janeiro) IPA^(key): /mo.duˈla(ʁ)/ [mo.duˈla(χ)]
  • (Caipira) IPA^(key): /mo.duˈla(ɻ)/

 

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /mu.duˈlaɾ/ [mu.ðuˈlaɾ]

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /mu.duˈlaɾ/ [mu.ðuˈlaɾ]
  • (Southern Portugal) IPA^(key): /mu.duˈla.ɾi/

Verb

modular (first-person singular present modulo, first-person singular preterite modulei, past participle modulado)

1. (transitive) to modulate (to regulate, adjust or adapt)
2. (transitive, music) to modulate (to change the pitch, intensity or tone of one’s voice or of a musical instrument)
3. (transitive, electronics) to modulate (to vary the amplitude, frequency or phase of a carrier wave)

Conjugation

    Conjugation of modular (See Appendix:Portuguese verbs)

	Singular			Plural
	First-person (eu)	Second-person (tu)	Third-person (ele / ela / você)	First-person (nós)	Second-person (vós)	Third-person (eles / elas / vocês)
Infinitive
Impersonal	modular
Personal	modular	modulares	modular	modularmos	modulardes	modularem
Gerund
	modulando
Past participle
Masculine	modulado			modulados
Feminine	modulada			moduladas
Indicative
Present	modulo	modulas	modula	modulamos	modulais	modulam
Imperfect	modulava	modulavas	modulava	modulávamos	moduláveis	modulavam
Preterite	modulei	modulaste	modulou	modulamos1, modulámos2	modulastes	modularam
Pluperfect	modulara	modularas	modulara	moduláramos	moduláreis	modularam
Future	modularei	modularás	modulará	modularemos	modulareis	modularão
Conditional	modularia	modularias	modularia	modularíamos	modularíeis	modulariam
Subjunctive
Present	module	modules	module	modulemos	moduleis	modulem
Imperfect	modulasse	modulasses	modulasse	modulássemos	modulásseis	modulassem
Future	modular	modulares	modular	modularmos	modulardes	modularem
Imperative
Affirmative		modula	module	modulemos	modulai	modulem
Negative (não)		não modules	não module	não modulemos	não moduleis	não modulem

¹Brazilian Portuguese.
²European Portuguese.

Further reading

• “modular”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2026
• “modular”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026

Romanian

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *med-

Proto-Indo-European *-os

Proto-Indo-European *médos

Proto-Italic *medos

Latin modus

Proto-Indo-European *-lós

Proto-Indo-European *-elós

Proto-Italic *-elos

Latin -ulus

Latin moduluslbor.

French module

Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂

Proto-Indo-European *-os?

Proto-Indo-European *-o-

Proto-Indo-European *-so-

Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂so-

Proto-Indo-European *-yós

Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂s(i)yós

Proto-Italic *-āsijos

Proto-Italic *-āsios

Latin -āriusder.

French -aire

French modulairebor.

▲

French modulebor.

English module

Proto-Indo-European *h₂el-

Proto-Indo-European *-is

Proto-Indo-European *h₂élisder.?

Proto-Italic *-ālis

Latin -ālis

Latin -ārisbor.

English -ar

English modularbor.

Romanian modular

Borrowed from French modulaire or English modular. By surface analysis, modul + -ar.

Adjective

modular m or n (feminine singular modulară, masculine plural modulari, feminine/neuter plural modulare)

1. modular

Declension

Declension of modular

		singular			plural
		masculine	neuter	feminine	masculine	neuter	feminine
nominative- accusative	indefinite	modular		modulară	modulari	modulare
	definite	modularul		modulara	modularii	modularele
genitive- dative	indefinite	modular		modulare	modulari	modulare
	definite	modularului		modularei	modularilor	modularelor

Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /moduˈlaɾ/ [mo.ð̞uˈlaɾ]
• Rhymes: -aɾ
• Syllabification: mo‧du‧lar

Adjective

modular m or f (masculine and feminine plural modulares)

1. modular

Verb

modular (first-person singular present modulo, first-person singular preterite modulé, past participle modulado)

1. to modulate

Conjugation

    Conjugation of modular (See Appendix:Spanish verbs)

infinitive			modular
gerund			modulando
past participle				masculine		feminine
		singular		modulado		modulada
		plural		modulados		moduladas
		singular			plural
		1st person	2nd person	3rd person	1st person	2nd person	3rd person
indicative		yo	tú vos	él/ella/ello usted	nosotros nosotras	vosotros vosotras	ellos/ellas ustedes
	present	modulo	modulastú modulásvos	modula	modulamos	moduláis	modulan
	imperfect	modulaba	modulabas	modulaba	modulábamos	modulabais	modulaban
	preterite	modulé	modulaste	moduló	modulamos	modulasteis	modularon
	future	modularé	modularás	modulará	modularemos	modularéis	modularán
	conditional	modularía	modularías	modularía	modularíamos	modularíais	modularían
subjunctive		yo	tú vos	él/ella/ello usted	nosotros nosotras	vosotros vosotras	ellos/ellas ustedes
	present	module	modulestú modulésvos2	module	modulemos	moduléis	modulen
	imperfect (ra)	modulara	modularas	modulara	moduláramos	modularais	modularan
	imperfect (se)	modulase	modulases	modulase	modulásemos	modulaseis	modulasen
	future1	modulare	modulares	modulare	moduláremos	modulareis	modularen
imperative		—	tú vos	usted	nosotros nosotras	vosotros vosotras	ustedes
	affirmative		modulatú modulávos	module	modulemos	modulad	modulen
	negative		no modules	no module	no modulemos	no moduléis	no modulen

¹Rare; now chiefly used in legal language.
²Argentine and Uruguayan voseo prefers the tuteo-form for the present subjunctive.

    Selected combined forms of modular

These forms are generated automatically and may not actually be used. Pronoun usage varies by region.

		singular			plural
		1st person	2nd person	3rd person	1st person	2nd person	3rd person
with infinitive modular	dative	modularme	modularte	modularle, modularse	modularnos	modularos	modularles, modularse
	accusative	modularme	modularte	modularlo, modularla, modularse	modularnos	modularos	modularlos, modularlas, modularse
with gerund modulando	dative	modulándome	modulándote	modulándole, modulándose	modulándonos	modulándoos	modulándoles, modulándose
	accusative	modulándome	modulándote	modulándolo, modulándola, modulándose	modulándonos	modulándoos	modulándolos, modulándolas, modulándose
with informal second-person singular tuteo imperative modula	dative	modúlame	modúlate	modúlale	modúlanos	not used	modúlales
	accusative	modúlame	modúlate	modúlalo, modúlala	modúlanos	not used	modúlalos, modúlalas
with informal second-person singular voseo imperative modulá	dative	modulame	modulate	modulale	modulanos	not used	modulales
	accusative	modulame	modulate	modulalo, modulala	modulanos	not used	modulalos, modulalas
with formal second-person singular imperative module	dative	modúleme	not used	modúlele, modúlese	modúlenos	not used	modúleles
	accusative	modúleme	not used	modúlelo, modúlela, modúlese	modúlenos	not used	modúlelos, modúlelas
with first-person plural imperative modulemos	dative	not used	modulémoste	modulémosle	modulémonos	modulémoos	modulémosles
	accusative	not used	modulémoste	modulémoslo, modulémosla	modulémonos	modulémoos	modulémoslos, modulémoslas
with informal second-person plural imperative modulad	dative	moduladme	not used	moduladle	moduladnos	modulaos	moduladles
	accusative	moduladme	not used	moduladlo, moduladla	moduladnos	modulaos	moduladlos, moduladlas
with formal second-person plural imperative modulen	dative	modúlenme	not used	modúlenle	modúlennos	not used	modúlenles, modúlense
	accusative	modúlenme	not used	modúlenlo, modúlenla	modúlennos	not used	modúlenlos, modúlenlas, modúlense

Derived terms

• demodular

Further reading

• “modular”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025