adequate

[ ad-i-kwit ]

/ ˈæd ɪ kwɪt /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR adequate ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

as much or as good as necessary for some requirement or purpose; fully sufficient, suitable, or fit (often followed by to or for): This car is adequate to our needs. adequate food for fifty people.

barely sufficient or suitable: Being adequate is not good enough.

Law. reasonably sufficient for starting legal action: adequate grounds.

Nearby words

adeodatus i, adeodatus ii, adephagia, adept, adequacy, adequate, adequate stimulus, adermia, adermogenesis, adessive, adf

Origin of adequate

1610–20; < Latin adaequātus matched (past participle of adaequāre). See ad-, equal, -ate¹

SYNONYMS FOR adequate

1 satisfactory, competent, sufficient, enough; capable.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR adequate ON THESAURUS.COM

Related forms

ad·e·quate·ly, adverbad·e·quate·ness, nounpre·ad·e·quate, adjectivepre·ad·e·quate·ly, adverb

pre·ad·e·quate·ness, nounqua·si-ad·e·quate, adjectivequa·si-ad·e·quate·ly, adverbsu·per·ad·e·quate, adjectivesu·per·ad·e·quate·ly, adverbsu·per·ad·e·quate·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for adequately

Regrettably, not many of them have been adequately translated.
How Clausewitz Invented Modern War|James A. Warren|November 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
American universities have come under censure for failing to adequately protect students from sexual and physical assault.
Don’t Blame The NFL And Colleges For Mishandling Assault Cases|Emily Shire|September 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“There appears to be no evidence that [Rudy] … is unable to adequately plan for care for his daughter,” he wrote.
One Breakdown Can Mean Losing Your Kid Forever|ProPublica|May 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Some critics believe that the problem is a result of the military not adequately enforcing its own regulations.
Caught Between Military and Civilian Justice, a Battered Wife Waits and Waits for Help|Jacob Siegel|April 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST

I am also frustrated that the administration has not adequately consulted with Congress regarding U.S. policy towards Egypt.
Obama’s Partial Aid Suspension Unlikely to Influence Egypt|Josh Rogin|October 9, 2013|DAILY BEAST
But no one can adequately comprehend it without previously possessing adequate knowledge of the body.
The World's Greatest Books--Volume 14--Philosophy and Economics|Various
No one can adequately comprehend how such a removal would have affected the religious life of the world.
The Young People's Wesley|W. McDonald
It is but of late that the inestimable importance of political principles has been adequately apprehended.
Caleb Williams|William Godwin
As it is impossible to describe this adequately, I must again ask the reader to assist with a few comparisons.
Andersonville, Volume 2|John McElroy
"It's never been adequately described on paper," was the ready answer.
The Boy With the U. S. Survey|Francis Rolt-Wheeler

British Dictionary definitions for adequately

adequate

/ (ˈædɪkwɪt) /

adjective

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

Derived Forms

adequacy (ˈædɪkwəsɪ), nounadequately, adverb

Word Origin for adequate

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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012