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Definition of modesto
modesto
/məˈdɛstoʊ/
Mo · des · to
modesto Lexical Profile
CEFR
C1
Grade
8
Tier
3
Usage
Rare
• noun
1
American A major city in central California, United States, serving as the county seat of Stanislaus County and located in the agricultural hub of the Central Valley.
Example
"She grew up in Modesto before moving to the San Francisco Bay Area for university."
• Rhymes for modesto
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Named in 1870. The town was originally intended to be named 'Ralston' after financier William C. Ralston, but his modesty led him to decline the honor. The Spanish-speaking railroad workers subsequently named the town 'Modesto' (Spanish for 'modest').
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.
180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer
Cite this Entry
Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Modesto. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 16, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/modesto