adequate

American  

[ad-i-kwit] / ˈæd ɪ kwɪt /

adjective

1. 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

2. barely sufficient or suitable.

   Being adequate is not good enough.

3. Law. reasonably sufficient for starting legal action.

   adequate grounds.

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adequate British  

/ ˈædɪkwəsɪ, ˈædɪkwɪt /

adjective

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

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Other Word Forms

• adequacy noun
• adequately adverb
• adequateness noun
• preadequate adjective
• preadequateness noun
• quasi-adequate adjective
• superadequate adjective
• superadequateness noun

Etymology

Origin of adequate

First recorded in 1610–20; from Latin adaequātus “matched” (past participle of adaequāre ); 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."

Example Sentences

Chief financial officer Wendell Huang reassured investors and customers that supplies of chipmaking materials such as hydrogen and helium are secure at present, with adequate inventories and multiple supply sources.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 16, 2026

He reasoned that the FDA didn’t have adequate data about adverse events or the safety of telehealth when writing the current rules on mifepristone.

From Slate • Apr. 13, 2026

To explain, let’s begin by noting that it is surprisingly difficult to give an adequate definition of lying.

From Salon • Apr. 13, 2026

Federal prosecutors lacked adequate resources and staffing, while tribal courts were capped at three-year sentences, creating loopholes that the worst criminals could exploit.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026

As if the trees weren’t an adequate barrier, a metal fence surrounds the approach, decorated with rolls of barbed wire.

From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin

Related Words

• acceptable
• capable
• competent
• decent
• fair
• satisfactory
• sufficient
• suitable
• tolerable