adequately

[ad-i-kwit-lee]

adverb

1. in a way that is sufficient, suitable, effective, or appropriate.

   The professor’s vague response failed to adequately answer our questions.

   The clinic needs to be appropriately staffed with permanently employed and adequately trained personnel.

Other Word Forms

• preadequately adverb
• quasi-adequately adverb
• superadequately adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of adequately¹

adequate ( def. ) + -ly

Example Sentences

She said the RV park’s developer has not adequately included neighbors in the planning process.

From Los Angeles Times

The union argues that online systems cannot distinguish adequately between urgent and non-urgent patient messages, and this could lead to potentially serious cases being delayed.

From BBC

It’s a fair question, but the documentary never adequately spells out why that’ll never happen.

From Salon

“We quickly realized how poor the conditions were. They were not treated well, they were not fed adequately, they didn’t have clean water.”

From Los Angeles Times

It is the first time that all three parties have publicly apologised, accepted it as an unlawful death and accepted that the state failed to adequately investigate.

From BBC

Related Words

• appropriately 
• competently 
• decently www.thesaurus.com
• satisfactorily www.thesaurus.com
• sufficiently www.thesaurus.com