insufficient
Americanadjective
-
not sufficient; lacking in what is necessary or required.
an insufficient answer.
- Synonyms:
- deficient, scanty, inadequate
-
deficient in force, quality, or amount; inadequate.
insufficient protection.
adjective
Other Word Forms
- insufficiently adverb
Etymology
Origin of insufficient
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Late Latin insufficient-, stem of insufficiēns; equivalent to in- 3 + sufficient
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.
The electric company also filed suit against six water agencies, including Pasadena Water & Power, claiming there were insufficient water supplies available for firefighters.
From Los Angeles Times
The regulator said the application had insufficient information on the proposed combined company’s projected market share and lacked other necessary documents.
President Zelensky has called Ukraine's air defence supplies "insufficient", having revealed several systems were "without missiles" until Friday morning.
From BBC
Its board chairman said Paramount’s bid provides “insufficient value” and relies on “an extraordinary amount of debt financing.”
Even Meta’s substantial operational cash flows—over $100 billion in the past 12 months—will be insufficient to fund the efforts.
From Barron's
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.
