adequate
Americanadjective
-
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
-
barely sufficient or suitable.
Being adequate is not good enough.
-
Law. reasonably sufficient for starting legal action.
adequate grounds.
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of adequate
First recorded in 1610–20; from Latin adaequātus “matched” (past participle of adaequāre ); see ad-, equal, -ate 1
Explanation
When you want to say that something is enough or good enough for a particular need, use the adjective adequate. You might have an adequate amount of flour for a batch of pancakes, but not a lot extra. Adequate can also describe something that is acceptable or satisfactory, but not any better than that. You might say that a student's grades are adequate but need improvement. This word is from Latin adaequāre"to make equal," from the prefix ad- plus aequare "to equal."
Vocabulary lists containing adequate
Academic Vocabulary Toolkit 1, Words 1-10
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30 GRE Words Beginning with "A"
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List 5
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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.
Adequate references and DBS checks, staff training, a culture of whistleblowing and more unannounced inspections have all been mentioned as other parts of the jigsaw.
From BBC • May 6, 2026
Adequate supply for the troops is good news, but it all adds up.
From Barron's • Mar. 6, 2026
Adequate eye protection is a must to view the eclipse directly.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2024
"We found that a NatureScore above 40 -- considered Nature Adequate -- seems to be the threshold for good mental health," Maddock said.
From Science Daily • Feb. 26, 2024
Adequate facilities for the distribution of the reserve funds of a country, however, are second in importance only to the existence of adequate supplies of standard coin.
From Banking by Scott, William A.
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.
