modicum

noun

mo·​di·​cum ˈmä-di-kəm 

also ˈmō-

: a small portion : a limited quantity

had only a modicum of mathematical skills

Did you know?

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.

Synonyms of modicum

• damn
• whit
• lick
• shred
• hoot

Examples of modicum in a Sentence

only a modicum of skill is necessary to put the kit together

Recent Examples on the Web

With the Dolphins’ offensive identity shifting in real time, both Achane and Jackson’s recovery are quintessential if this team wants to experience even a modicum of success. —Miami Herald, 27 May 2026

This caused a great clamor of approval, and a modicum of tepid ooh-la-la disapproval by the folks who actually approved but who were too cowardly to say so, back in the day. —Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026

As temperatures spike and humidity rises, trying to stay cool while maintaining even the smallest modicum of sartorial finesse can be… challenging, to say the least. —Vogue, 25 May 2026

Well, a modicum of restraint, for one. —Jon Greenberg, New York Times, 22 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin, neuter of modicus moderate, from modus measure

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

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Kids Definition

modicum

noun

mo·​di·​cum ˈmäd-i-kəm 

ˈmōd-

: a small amount

anyone with a modicum of intelligence would understand