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

Derived Forms

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

Their workouts and healthy-eating regimens are no longer sufficient.

From Salon • Jun. 14, 2026

It also poses a challenge for the consumer part of the economy if there isn’t sufficient supply of credit to help power Americans’ spending, particularly when prices are rising faster than wages.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 13, 2026

In 2022, the 5th Circuit ruled that this arrangement delegated “government power to a private entity without sufficient agency supervision” and struck it down.

From Slate • Jun. 12, 2026

The biggest criticism of the new cars this year has been the engines were energy starved because it was too difficult to recover sufficient energy around a lap to meet the maximum allowance.

From BBC • Jun. 10, 2026

I hope you will find this tale of sufficient interest to yourself and your readers to warrant its publication.

From "Bunnicula" by Deborah Howe and James Howe

Related Words

• acceptable
• ample
• plentiful
• satisfactory
• tolerable