sufficient

American  

[suh-fish-uhnt] / səˈfɪʃ ənt /

adjective

1. adequate for the purpose; enough.

   sufficient proof;

   sufficient protection.

   Antonyms:

   inadequate, scant, meager

2. Logic. (of a condition) such that its existence leads to the occurrence of a given event or the existence of a given thing.

3. Archaic. competent.

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sufficient British  

/ səˈfɪʃənt /

adjective

1. enough to meet a need or purpose; adequate

2. logic (of a condition) assuring the truth of a statement; requiring but not necessarily required by some other state of affairs Compare necessary

3. archaic competent; capable

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noun

1. a sufficient quantity

Other Word Forms

• oversufficient
  adjective
• presufficient
  adjective
• quasi-sufficient
  adjective
• supersufficient
  adjective
• oversufficiently
  adverb
• presufficiently
  adverb
• quasi-sufficiently
  adverb
• sufficiently
  adverb
• supersufficiently
  adverb

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Etymology

Origin of sufficient

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin sufficient-, stem of sufficiēns “supplying,” present participle of sufficere “to supply, suffice,” equivalent to suf- suf- + -ficere, combining form of facere “to do, make”; see suffice

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Explanation

If you have a sufficient amount of something, it's enough — not too much, not too little, just right. Goldilocks would be pleased. Sufficient comes from a Latin verb meaning "to meet the need." If something is sufficient it has met, or satisfied, a need. Enough is often used as a synonym for sufficient, and when something is not sufficient, it is too little to take care of what's needed. Sufficient can, however, also suggest just enough and not an abundance, as in "the money was sufficient for groceries, but we needed more to fill the gas tank."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

sufficient

However, controlled clinical trials have not yet provided sufficient evidence to establish how reliably the treatment works.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 5, 2026

Walter pointed to the decision to pursue a SPAC, which he said can indicate that a company isn’t able to raise sufficient funds in the private market.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 5, 2026

The government said at that time it would only approve data centre projects after ensuring sufficient energy and water supply capacity.

From Barron's ● Nov. 4, 2026

The parliamentary watchdog considered the allegations and concluded that they did "not provide sufficient grounds" for a formal investigation.

From BBC ● Nov. 2, 2026

A “miners’ meeting,” called on the spot, decided that the dog had sufficient provocation, and Buck was discharged.

From "The Call of the Wild" by Jack London

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Related Words

• acceptable
• ample
• plentiful
• satisfactory
• tolerable

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