inadequate

[in-ad-i-kwit]

adjective

1. not good enough for the purpose; inept or unsuitable.

   This old tent they gave us is completely inadequate—it’s equally bad at keeping out both the rain and the bugs!

   Synonyms: imperfect, defective, incommensurate, incompetent, inapt, incomplete
   Antonyms: sufficient

2. not sufficient for the purpose; not enough.

   The set of linens we received was so inadequate, we were asking friends for a loan of napkins and tablecloths.

3. Psychiatry.,  ineffectual in response to emotional, social, intellectual, and physical demands in the absence of any obvious mental or physical deficiency.

inadequate

/ ɪnˈædɪkwɪt /

adjective

1. not adequate; insufficient

2. not capable or competent; lacking

Other Word Forms

• inadequately adverb
• inadequacy noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of inadequate¹

First recorded in 1665–75; in- ³ + adequate

Example Sentences

It found women frequently reported feelings of isolation and guilt following miscarriage stemming from social stigma and inadequate support.

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What she did not know was that FNA tests are not considered best practice for breast biopsies, because they can produce inadequate samples, and lead to the risk of missed, incomplete or delayed diagnoses.

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An official audit of the museum published shortly after the heist highlighted the institution's inadequate security systems and ageing infrastructure.

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This may lead to inadequate consumption of choline and other key nutrients.

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The reforms will tackle perceived problems including excessive concentration of universities in Tbilisi, duplication of programmes and inadequate state funding.

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Related Words

• deficient 
• faulty 
• incompetent 
• incomplete 
• lacking 
• meager 
• poor 
• sad 
• scarce 
• sketchy 
• skimpy 
• unequal 
• weak