modicum
mod·i·cum/ˈmɑdɪkəm/noun
modicum is spelled M-O-D-I-C-U-M: 7 letters and 3 syllables (mod·i·cum). It appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 41,154th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, modicum means “A modest, small, or trifling amount” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of modicum is modicums; Wiktionary also lists modica (rare).
How many letters and syllables are in modicum?
| Letters | 7: M-O-D-I-C-U-M |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3: mod·i·cum |
| In writing | about once in every 2 million words; the 41,154th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is modicum?
Modicum appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 41,154th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce modicum?
- UK /ˈmɒdɪkəm/
- US /ˈmɑdɪkəm/
- US /-də-/
Modicum has 3 syllables, split mod·i·cum in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-modicum.mp3, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of modicum
- modicums plural
- modica plural, rare
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does modicum mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A modest, small, or trifling amount.
Unable to garner even a modicum of support for his plan, he conceded to follow the others.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Modicum in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense modest, small, or trifling amount:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | minimum, modicum, montant modique |
| German | Bisschen, Hauch, Spur, Winzigkeit, Mindestmaß |
| Portuguese | bocadinho, mínimo, pingo, um pouco de |
| Spanish | ápice, resquicio, grisma, mirrusca, mirringa, menudencia |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does modicum come from?
From Middle English modicum, from Latin modicum (“a little, a small amount”), a noun use of the neuter form of modicus (“moderate; restrained, temperate; reasonable”) + -cum (suffix forming neuter nouns). Modicus is derived from modus (“a measure; a bound, limit”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *med- (“to measure”)) + -icus (suffix meaning ‘of or pertaining to’ forming adjectives). The plural form modica is derived from Latin modica.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).