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
Etymology
Origin of insufficient
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Late Latin insufficient-, stem of insufficiēns; equivalent to in- 3 + sufficient
Explanation
If something is insufficient, it isn't enough. A high school diploma is very helpful for getting a job, but by itself, it's probably insufficient to land you a job as an astronaut. Something adequate is sufficient, and something inadequate is insufficient (in- meaning "not"). If you have $100 in the bank and you try to use a debit card for a $102 purchase, even though you’re close to having enough, your funds are insufficient to cover the sale. Anything that falls short of a required amount or expected measure is insufficient, whether it's the amount of air in a bike tire or the votes needed to win an election.
Vocabulary lists containing insufficient
Figurative Language in King's "I Have a Dream" Speech (1963)
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Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" Speech (1963)
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Bridge to Terabithia
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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.
Some of that can be attributed to people having insufficient emergency savings or other pools of funds to turn to during a financial crunch, Shamrell said.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 3, 2026
Newsom and lawmakers eventually came to a compromise on a narrower set of reforms that the analysts see as insufficient in shifting liability from utilities.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026
"These cities remain heavily tied to the US market, while growth in exports outside the US has been limited or insufficient to offset broader weakness in trade activity and local economic conditions," the report said.
From BBC ● Aug. 31, 2026
However, he was released from jail the next day because the District Attorney’s office said it found insufficient evidence to pursue criminal charges.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2026
A number twenty times that size still would have been woefully insufficient.
From "1919 The Year That Changed America" by Martin W. Sandler
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.
