Modicum
A small or modest amount; a tiny quantity of something.
nounModicum
A small or modest amount; a tiny quantity of something.
nounImagine This
Imagine a chef sprinkling just a modicum of salt into a stew—a tiny pinch that makes the whole dish taste perfectly balanced.
Sounds Like
MOD-ih-kum
Looks Like
Looks like a word meaning a small amount; visually related to 'modest' and 'moderate'.
Remember This
Common collocation is 'a modicum of [noun]'; the word signals restraint in amount and is often used in formal writing.
Other Forms
Connect With
trace, iota, sliver, speck, paucity, scantiness
Note
Used in formal or literary contexts. Not typically interchangeable with casual terms like 'bit' or 'trace' when a precise, slightly elevated sense of small amount is intended.
Study Deeper
- She showed a modicum of patience as the meeting ran over time.
- The evidence offers only a modicum of support for the theory.
From Latin modicus 'moderate, small', from modus 'measure'.
MOD-IC-UM: a MODest AMOUNT — remember that modicum means a small amount.
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