Module

How to spell module

6 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce module

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does module mean?

1. nounA self-contained unit or component that forms part of a larger system, course, or structure.

Module in a sentence

• The first module of the training course covers basic safety.

• Engineers replaced the faulty memory module in the server.

Where does module come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word traces back to the Latin modulus, a diminutive of modus, which meant 'measure', 'manner', or 'standard'. So modulus literally signified 'a small measure' or 'a unit of measurement'. English borrowed it in the late 1500s, partly through French module, and at first it was a technical term in architecture for the standard unit used to fix the proportions of a building, often the radius or diameter of a column. From that idea of a basic standardised unit, the meaning broadened to any self-contained component that can be combined with others, which is why we now speak of a course module, a software module, or a lunar module. The same modus root sits inside everyday relatives such as 'mode', 'model', 'modify', and 'modest', and noticing that shared sense of 'measured unit' helps fix the -ule ending rather than the wrong-sounding 'modual'.

How the word is built

• mod (from Latin modus: measure)
• -ule (diminutive suffix: little)