sufficient

American  

[suh-fish-uhnt] / səˈfɪʃ ənt /

adjective

1. adequate for the purpose; enough.

   sufficient proof;

   sufficient protection.

   Antonyms:

   inadequate, scant, meager

2. Logic. (of a condition) such that its existence leads to the occurrence of a given event or the existence of a given thing.

3. Archaic. competent.

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sufficient British  

/ səˈfɪʃənt /

adjective

1. enough to meet a need or purpose; adequate

2. logic (of a condition) assuring the truth of a statement; requiring but not necessarily required by some other state of affairs Compare necessary

3. archaic competent; capable

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noun

1. a sufficient quantity

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• oversufficient
  adjective
• presufficient
  adjective
• quasi-sufficient
  adjective
• quasi-sufficiently
  adverb
• sufficiently
  adverb
• oversufficiently
  adverb
• supersufficiently
  adverb
• supersufficient
  adjective
• presufficiently
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of sufficient

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin sufficient-, stem of sufficiēns “supplying,” present participle of sufficere “to supply, suffice,” equivalent to suf- suf- + -ficere, combining form of facere “to do, make”; see suffice

Explanation

If you have a sufficient amount of something, it's enough — not too much, not too little, just right. Goldilocks would be pleased. Sufficient comes from a Latin verb meaning "to meet the need." If something is sufficient it has met, or satisfied, a need. Enough is often used as a synonym for sufficient, and when something is not sufficient, it is too little to take care of what's needed. Sufficient can, however, also suggest just enough and not an abundance, as in "the money was sufficient for groceries, but we needed more to fill the gas tank."

Example Sentences

The PAC report also raised concerns about the MoD not providing "sufficient transparency over its ever-increasing nuclear expenditure".

From BBC • Jun. 6, 2026

Under international maritime law, a ship must have sufficient crew members on board at all times to handle any emergencies -- whether the vessel is in port or at anchor.

From Barron's • Jun. 5, 2026

“I abstained because I did not see sufficient evidence to justify extending this emergency ordinance, nor did I see evidence to eliminate it entirely,” Hahn said.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 3, 2026

“We have sufficient capacity to provide compute for our own AI models, including support of our training and inference demands, and to satisfy the obligations under these agreements,” SpaceX said in its filing.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 1, 2026

After one particularly grisly stretch of Dr. Scott’s testimony, Holmes stood and said, “I would ask that the Court be adjourned for sufficient time for lunch.”

From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson

Related Words

• acceptable
• ample
• plentiful
• satisfactory
• tolerable