modular

[moj-uh-ler]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR modular ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

of or relating to a module or a modulus.

composed of standardized units or sections for easy construction or flexible arrangement: a modular home; a modular sofa.

Mathematics. (of a lattice) having the property that for any two elements with one less than the other, the union of the smaller element with the intersection of the larger element and any third element of the lattice is equal to the intersection of the larger element with the union of the smaller element and the third element.

Computers. composed of software or hardware modules that can be altered or replaced without affecting the remainder of the system.

noun

something, as a house or piece of furniture, built or organized in self-contained units or sections.

a self-contained unit or item, as of furniture, that can be combined or interchanged with others like it to create different shapes or designs.

Origin of modular

From the New Latin word modulāris, dating back to 1790–1800. See module, -ar¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for modular

interchangeable, standard, commutable, extensible, exchangeable, compatible, flexible, portable, adaptive, mutual, reciprocal

Examples from the Web for modular

Historical Examples of modular

Let the modular proportions of the rest of the work be carried out as written in the fourth book in the case of temples.
Ten Books on Architecture
Vitruvius
These languages are conceived in a modular fashion and can be designed to optimally serve the task at hand.
The Civilization of Illiteracy
Mihai Nadin
For instance, the function exp (z) assumes every finite value except zero (see below under 21, Modular Functions).
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 11, Slice 3
Various

British Dictionary definitions for modular

modular

adjective

of, consisting of, or resembling a module or modulus

Derived Formsmodularity (ˌmɒdjʊˈlærɪtɪ), noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for modular

adj.

1798, as a term in mathematics, from French modulaire or directly from Modern Latin modularis, from Latin modulus "a small measure" (see module). Meaning "composed of interchangeable units" first recorded 1936.