What does exiguous mean?
Exiguous means extremely small or scanty — so slight as to be barely adequate. It is a formal adjective, most often encountered in academic, political, or literary contexts, where writers use it to describe quantities such as budgets, salaries, data, evidence, or resources that fall conspicuously short of what is needed. The word derives from the Latin 'exiguus', meaning small or scanty, and entered English in the early seventeenth century. Its connotations are precise rather than emotional: where 'meagre' suggests disappointment and 'paltry' implies contempt, 'exiguous' simply registers insufficiency with dry, almost clinical detachment. This makes it a favourite of economists, historians, and critics who want to acknowledge scarcity without editorialising. A scholar might lament the exiguous surviving records of a medieval village, or a journalist might note a government's exiguous spending commitment. For anyone seeking an elegant, exact way to say 'far too little', exiguous is a valuable addition to the vocabulary.
adjectiveExtremely small in amount or quantity; scanty or meagre. Used to emphasize that something is barely sufficient.
- Extremely small, slight, or scanty in amount; barely sufficient.
"The research team struggled to draw conclusions from an exiguous set of data."
"Even on his exiguous salary, he managed to send money home each month."
"The manuscript survives only in exiguous fragments."
Exiguous comes from the same Latin root as 'measly' complaints about tiny portions — but unlike 'measly', it has kept its formal, dignified reputation for nearly four centuries.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of exiguous
Exiguous comes from the Latin adjective 'exiguus', meaning small, scanty, or short, which itself derives from the Latin verb 'exigere', meaning to drive out, measure, or weigh accurately. The word entered English in the early seventeenth century, when many Latin-derived scholarly terms were being adopted. It shares its ultimate Latin root with words like 'exact' and 'examine', which also trace back to 'exigere', reflecting the shared idea of precise measurement.
Related word forms
How exiguous is actually used
Exiguous is a formal word, more at home in academic writing, journalism, and literary prose than in everyday conversation. It carries a faintly ironic or understated tone and is typically applied to abstract quantities — funds, data, evidence, time — rather than physical objects.
Easily confused with exiguous
'Exigent' means urgent or demanding immediate attention, whereas 'exiguous' means extremely small or scanty in amount.