modicum
noun
Simple meaning
A small or moderate or token amount.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
mahdihkuhmSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ˈmɑdɪkəm
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
A small or moderate or token amount
“England still expects a modicum of eccentricity in its artists"- Ian Jack.”
A modest, small, or trifling amount.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- C2 · Proficient (estimated)
- Frequency
- Rare
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
This meaning: A small or moderate or token amount
Used this way, modicum is a common word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It stays understated rather than dramatic. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
“England still expects a modicum of eccentricity in its artists"- Ian Jack.”
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Mild
- How common
- Common
- Connotation
- Matter-of-fact
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Usage note
It most often appears in the pattern “modicum of …”, which is worth copying when you use it.
Natural pattern: modicum of …
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use modicum
- “England still expects a modicum of eccentricity in its artists"- Ian Jack.”noun
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Common Patterns and Combinations
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.