adjective
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adequate or suitable; acceptable
a satisfactory answer
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giving satisfaction
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constituting or involving atonement, recompense, or expiation for sin
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of satisfactory
First recorded in 1520–30; from Medieval Latin satisfactōrius, from Latin satisfac(ere) “to do enough” ( see satisfaction ( def. )) + -tōrius -tory 1
Explanation
If something's satisfactory it's okay — acceptable, but maybe not great. When you take a course pass/fail, your grade will be satisfactory if you meet all the requirements and do a reasonable job, or unsatisfactory if you don't. Try not to confuse satisfactory and satisfying. If you've cooked a satisfactory turkey for Thanksgiving, your guests aren't getting sick or making excuses to leave the table, but they're probably not asking for seconds either. But if your turkey is satisfying, everybody is complimenting you on your culinary skills and probably sitting back in their chairs with contented smiles on their faces.
Vocabulary lists containing satisfactory
"To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee, Chapters 1–6
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Thumbs Up: Synonyms for "Good"
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You Are Correct! Synonyms for "Right"
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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.
If the banks can’t give satisfactory answers, banking supervisors should require them to set capital aside as if the answer were the worst plausible one.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 22, 2026
It may be easy to point the finger at individual investors, computer algorithms or generalists, but that doesn’t seem to be a satisfactory explanation.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026
There’s no satisfactory answer to that, although it’s fair to say that the papacies of Francis and Leo represent the first serious efforts to reckon with those more recent crimes.
From Salon • Apr. 5, 2026
The Warwickshire force, however, concluded in July 2025 that its officers' conduct had been "satisfactory" but that it had "highlighted some organisational learning".
From BBC • Feb. 11, 2026
No, there was only one satisfactory passenger in the boat.
From "And Then There Were None" by Agatha Christie
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.
