Make Your Point > Archived Issues > MODICUM
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Our word modicum is the dry, scholarly one you sometimes need instead of feistier synonyms like bit, tad, smidge, smidgeon, or sc___illa (a small amount of anything that reminds you of a spark or a sparkle).
"Modicum" looks very Latin, doesn't it?
That's because it is! Modicum means "a little," from modus, meaning "amount, extent, or measure"--the root that also gave us mode, model, modern, modest, modify, modulate, commodity, accommodate, and so on.
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"MODICUM"
This word comes straight from Latin, where it means "a little."
A modicum of something is a small amount of it.
Pronunciation:
MOD ih come
Part of speech:
Noun, the countable kind: "this modicum," "a modicum of effort."
We hardly ever make it plural, but we can: "these modicums."
Other forms:
none
How to use it:
Sometimes you want to talk about people having or lacking a shred of decency, a scrap of intelligence, or a speck of wit, but you want to be more formal about it, more cool-headed, more standoffish in your assessment. In that case, use "modicum." It's a serious, scholarly word.
Put it into the phrase "a modicum of something," usually a good thing: a modicum of hope, trust, truth, taste, fame, respect, fairness, success, restraint, control, dignity, decency, insight, intelligence, skepticism, accountability, and so on.
Notice how you talk about modicums of abstract things, like love or curiosity, but not concrete things, like paint or Diet Coke.
Once you've got your phrase--"a modicum of this or that"--you can stick it into your sentence by talking about people and things having, containing, gaining, receiving, keeping, losing, conceding, asserting, or offering a modicum of this or that.
examples:
"I've had awful auditions... When I met the Coen Brothers, I fudged it. I shook hands with Ethan, then Joel and said, 'Good to meet you Jo-en.' After that, I just sat down and stared at them. Mostly, it's about trying to escape with a modicum of dignity."
— Jonjo O'Neill, in an interview with Matt Trueman, The Guardian, 19 March 2018
"As she tries to recapture an old dream of becoming a painter, of preserving some modicum of true art amid the virtual reality of modern Montana, Corey finds herself figuring in other dramas as well..."
— University of Nebraska Press, introducing Mary Clearman Blew's novel Jackalope Dreams, 2008
has this page helped you understand "modicum"?
study it:
Explain the meaning of "modicum" without saying "a trace" or "a bit."
try it out:
Fill in the blanks: "(Something happened, or somebody did something) (with or without) a modicum of (class, dignity, respect, delight, or surprise)."
Example: "Her story appeared in a collection of tales about cannibalism, so the ending--yeah, okay, she's going to eat him now--unfolded without a modicum of surprise."
before you review, play:
Spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—let your working memory empty out first.
Our game this month is "Big Bang Thicket."
In each issue, hack your way through the polysyllabic title of an episode of The Big Bang Theory, and use your knowledge of vocabulary to answer the question about what happens in that episode.
From the previous issue:
In "The Indecision Amalgamation," is it one or three characters who experience indecision?
Answer:
Three. An amalgamation is a combination, specifically a well-blended one.
Try this one today:
In "The Earworm Reverberation," Sheldon has an earworm: a song stuck in his head. Does he play this earworm on a piano over and over, or does he attempt to ban it from local radio stations?
review this word:
1. One opposite of MODICUM is
A. PLETHORA.
B. SASSINESS.
C. HOMOGENEITY.
2. From prison, the disgraced actor referred to himself as "America's Dad," as if desperate to _____ a modicum of _____.
A. defend .. supporters
B. reclaim .. public esteem
C. shed .. a trustworthy reputation
a final word:
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I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.
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Disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.
Our word modicum is the dry, scholarly one you sometimes need instead of feistier synonyms like bit, tad, smidge, smidgeon, or sc___illa (a small amount of anything that reminds you of a spark or a sparkle).
"MODICUM" This word comes straight from Latin, where it means "a little."
"I've had awful auditions... When I met the Coen Brothers, I fudged it. I shook hands with Ethan, then Joel and said, 'Good to meet you Jo-en.' After that, I just sat down and stared at them. Mostly, it's about trying to escape with a modicum of dignity."
Explain the meaning of "modicum" without saying "a trace" or "a bit."
Fill in the blanks: "(Something happened, or somebody did something) (with or without) a modicum of (class, dignity, respect, delight, or surprise)."
Spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—let your working memory empty out first.
1. One opposite of MODICUM is
|