adequate

[ad-i-kwit]

adjective

1. as much or as good as necessary for some requirement or purpose; fully sufficient, suitable, or fit (often followed by to orfor ).

   This car is adequate to our needs.

   They’ll provide adequate food for fifty people.

   Synonyms: capable, enough, sufficient, competent, satisfactory

2. barely sufficient or suitable.

   Being adequate is not good enough.

3. Law.,  reasonably sufficient for starting legal action.

   adequate grounds.

adequate

/ ˈædɪkwəsɪ, ˈædɪkwɪt /

adjective

1. able to fulfil a need or requirement without being abundant, outstanding, etc

Other Word Forms

• adequately adverb
• adequacy noun
• adequateness noun
• preadequate adjective
• preadequateness noun
• quasi-adequate adjective
• superadequate adjective
• superadequateness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of adequate¹

First recorded in 1610–20; from Latin adaequātus “matched” (past participle of adaequāre ); ad-, equal, -ate ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of adequate¹

C17: from Latin adaequāre to equalize, from ad- to + aequus _equal

Example Sentences

Top pros need to spend 11 months of the year on a constant hunt for ranking points and prize money, which they say leaves them without adequate time to recover and at risk of injury.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

She shows how teen tech use correlates with soaring rates of depression and plunging levels of adequate sleep and in-person socializing.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

Research suggests that widespread underinsurance is, in part, also the result of insurers promoting lower-cost plans to attract new customers, even if those plans ultimately do not provide adequate coverage.

Read more on MarketWatch

The governor vetoed a similar bill last year, saying the state already had adequate powers to review deals.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

Existing state law requires landlords to maintain certain “standard characteristics” for a dwelling unit including adequate hot and cold running water, heat, and weather proofing.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• acceptable 
• capable 
• competent 
• decent 
• fair 
• satisfactory 
• sufficient 
• suitable 
• tolerable