scintilla
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of scintilla
1685–95; < Latin: spark
Explanation
It might take more than a scintilla of English vocabulary knowledge to know that scintilla means a tiny bit of something. Scintilla is a long word for describing a tiny thing. It comes sandwiched between the words a and of in phrases like “a scintilla of doubt” or “not a single scintilla of evidence.” If you’re uncertain of the pronunciation, remember: it rhymes with chinchilla and the c is silent, just like in science. Similar words you can use to talk about tiny bits of something are iota, smidgen, speck, and whit.
Vocabulary lists containing scintilla
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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It's the Little Things: Synonyms for "Small"
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The Martian Chronicles
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
If you’re human and have a scintilla of emotional and social intelligence, then you know that psychological and emotional suffering are serious and lead to real-world personal and social dysfunction.
From Salon • Sep. 20, 2025
They argued there was “not a scintilla of evidence” to support the charge of hindering police.
From Seattle Times • Nov. 28, 2023
He told BBC News NI those who don't believe him "can believe whatever they like" but there was no "scintilla of evidence" that he had any "hand, act or part in it".
From BBC • Sep. 12, 2023
“There is not a scintilla of evidence supporting the scandalous allegations that the Church harassed the accusers,” she wrote in an e-mail to The Times.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 7, 2023
A scintilla of doubt had begun to insinuate itself.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
