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.
During Mrs Clark's tenure as headteacher, the school was inspected by Ofsted three times, with the rating going from Satisfactory in 2010 to Good in 2012 and 2017.
From BBC • Jan. 15, 2025
A restaurant that doesn’t deserve a star is graded Poor, Fair, or Satisfactory, like a Victorian schoolboy.
From The New Yorker • Sep. 5, 2016
Satisfactory scores range from three stars for “at least median performance” to five stars for “superior performance.”
From BusinessWeek • Sep. 15, 2011
Autumn inspections 2009 Outstanding - 9% Good - 40% Satisfactory - 40% Inadequate - 10% A total of 40% of the schools inspected were marked down as satisfactory.
From BBC • Mar. 10, 2010
I twisted and craned to catch an Excellent, Very Good, Good, or Satisfactory on someone’s paper.
From "P.S. Be Eleven" by Rita Williams-Garcia
Definitions 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.
