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Definition
Refers to expressions that communicate the degree of certainty, knowledge, or belief about a statement. It concerns what is known, believed, or considered probable. For example, “It might rain tonight” reflects uncertainty about the weather, indicating epistemic modality.
Etymology
The term “epistemic” comes from epistēmē (meaning “knowledge” or “science” in Greek), so epistemic modality reflects knowledge or belief about the truth of something.
Related
- deontic-modality (in contrast)