adjective
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adequate or suitable; acceptable
a satisfactory answer
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giving satisfaction
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constituting or involving atonement, recompense, or expiation for sin
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of satisfactory
First recorded in 1520–30; from Medieval Latin satisfactōrius, from Latin satisfac(ere) “to do enough” ( see satisfaction ( def. )) + -tōrius -tory 1
Explanation
If something's satisfactory it's okay — acceptable, but maybe not great. When you take a course pass/fail, your grade will be satisfactory if you meet all the requirements and do a reasonable job, or unsatisfactory if you don't. Try not to confuse satisfactory and satisfying. If you've cooked a satisfactory turkey for Thanksgiving, your guests aren't getting sick or making excuses to leave the table, but they're probably not asking for seconds either. But if your turkey is satisfying, everybody is complimenting you on your culinary skills and probably sitting back in their chairs with contented smiles on their faces.
Vocabulary lists containing satisfactory
"To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee, Chapters 1–6
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Thumbs Up: Synonyms for "Good"
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You Are Correct! Synonyms for "Right"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But there’s a reason the U.S. and Allies sent four million troops to occupy Nazi Germany—so they didn’t have to rely on hope to produce a satisfactory outcome.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026
Skubal’s performance in Game 1 was satisfactory, but neither him nor Yamamoto would have had much chance of winning with whatever passes for offense among the Dodgers this October.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026
"Any explanation of the experimental data that only relies on a CDW is at odds with these principles. The PDW-based explanation, on the other hand, provides a satisfactory and consistent explanation."
From Science Daily ● Oct. 7, 2026
“Less than one-third of families report having had satisfactory conversations around aging and end-of-life planning, and more than two-thirds of those conversations don’t happen until there’s a critical emergency or health crisis,” it says.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 24, 2026
I expect you do not; you were so very small, and she was in the final months of a long and highly satisfactory life.
From "The Unseen Guest" by Maryrose Wood
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
