modicum
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of modicum
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Latin, noun use of neuter of modicus “moderate,” equivalent to modi-, combining form of modus limit ( see mode 1) + -cus adjective suffix
Explanation
If you want to describe a small amount of something, try modicum. If you have a modicum of interest in something, you are a little bit interested. Modicum comes from the Latin modicus, for moderate, and modus, for measure. We often use it to mean "any at all," as if "If you had a modicum of sense (i.e. any sense at all), you'd be able to see that the pencil you've spent the last five minutes looking for is tucked behind your ear."
Vocabulary lists containing modicum
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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.
It might have lifted the Rams’ spirits a modicum.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 14, 2026
That would require the film to be conceived, shot and edited with even a modicum of foresight.
From Salon ● Apr. 25, 2026
And, unlike Miller, who gave credit to “a large degree of luck, and maybe some modicum of skill,” Wood saw 2020 as a sign of more to come.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 17, 2026
All that matters, she said, "is who stays longer and who provides some modicum of security and justice when they're in place."
From Barron's ● Nov. 18, 2025
Marco takes Chandresh’s arm and pulls him into a quieter corner, standing with his back to the courtyard to provide a modicum of privacy.
From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
