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

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

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

Customers are entering the latest episode with sufficient inventory and a more disciplined purchasing approach, reducing the potential of panic buying, she reckons.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026

But that wasn’t the result of sudden delistings sparked by huge drops; rather, the company determined that the ETFs weren’t gaining sufficient traction with investors, according to Lamb.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026

“Absent a stay ... there will not be sufficient time to obtain appellate relief before the November election,” Sauer said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026

"My own view is that the evidence is more than sufficient for his removal, and I think for the ICC to have any credibility, he must be removed," Rapp told AFP.

From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026

We leave the door to the camel car wide open, but it’s clear a simple airing out won’t be sufficient.

From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen

Related Words

• acceptable
• ample
• plentiful
• satisfactory
• tolerable