modicum
noun
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The Origins of Modicum Can Be Found in the Bathroom
It wouldn’t be wrong to say that the English language has more than a modicum of words referring to a small amount of something—it has oodles, from smidgen to soupçon. But while modicum can be applied to countable or physical things (like words or salt) it is almost always applied instead to abstract concepts like respect, success, control, hope, dignity, or privacy. Modicum traces back to the Latin noun modus, meaning “measure,” which just so happens to be the ancestor of more than a modicum of English words, from moderate and modify to mold and commode.
Examples of modicum in a Sentence
Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2025
This openness granted her a modicum of power in her, uh, complicated relationship with future husband Christian Grey.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 22 Aug. 2025
There was a modicum of improvement in cookies that included peanut butter, such as the Peanut Butter Crisp featuring Butterfinger, since there was a bit more saltiness to enjoy.
—Sam Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 15 Aug. 2025
Neither side seems willing to extend even a modicum of trust to the other—or to a journalist like me, visiting to report on the standoff.
—Mark Ellwood, Robb Report, 10 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for modicum
Cite this Entry
“Modicum.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/modicum. Accessed 5 Sep. 2025.
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modicum
noun
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