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.

---

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

---

noun

1. a sufficient quantity

Other Word Forms

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

See Examples For:

sufficient

“We just wanted the court to have sufficient time to review our case without the threat of the companies merging.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026

And so Freeman held that this fact alone was sufficient to grant them constitutional protections under the Second Amendment.

From Slate ● Jul. 24, 2026

The incident has prompted fresh questions about the capabilities of advanced AI systems and whether existing safeguards are sufficient as the technology becomes more powerful.

From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026

Australia has previously said it did not receive sufficient notice of the missile test and a dozen Pacific Island countries have denounced it for violating the region's wish to remain free of nuclear weapons testing.

From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026

Nevertheless, the force was sufficient to spin Butler like an ice-skater, landing him on his rump for the second time in as many minutes.

From "Artemis Fowl" by Eoin Colfer

Related Words

• acceptable
• ample
• plentiful
• satisfactory
• tolerable