insufficient
Americanadjective
-
not sufficient; lacking in what is necessary or required.
an insufficient answer.
- Synonyms:
- deficient, scanty, inadequate
-
deficient in force, quality, or amount; inadequate.
insufficient protection.
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of insufficient
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Late Latin insufficient-, stem of insufficiēns; equivalent to in- 3 + sufficient
Explanation
If something is insufficient, it isn't enough. A high school diploma is very helpful for getting a job, but by itself, it's probably insufficient to land you a job as an astronaut. Something adequate is sufficient, and something inadequate is insufficient (in- meaning "not"). If you have $100 in the bank and you try to use a debit card for a $102 purchase, even though you’re close to having enough, your funds are insufficient to cover the sale. Anything that falls short of a required amount or expected measure is insufficient, whether it's the amount of air in a bike tire or the votes needed to win an election.
Vocabulary lists containing insufficient
Figurative Language in King's "I Have a Dream" Speech (1963)
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Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" Speech (1963)
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Bridge to Terabithia
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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.
Stripe and the private-equity firm Advent International previously proposed paying $60.50 a share for PayPal, a price PayPal viewed as insufficient, some of the people said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
The U.A.E. was, in 2022, placed on the Financial Action Task Force’s gray list due to insufficient controls on anti-money-laundering and terror financing.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 9, 2026
He faces opposition in particular from UEFA, which on Thursday stood by its threat to boycott the World Cups, deeming the mere withdrawal of the controversial plan to be insufficient.
From Barron's ● Aug. 8, 2026
But prosecutors said there was insufficient evidence to bring charges because the girlfriend couldn’t identify the officers in the recording or say who made it.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026
By then it was clear that $700 billion was a sum insufficient to grapple with the troubled assets acquired over the previous few years by Wall Street bond traders.
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
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.
