adequate consideration

Meaning

1. 1noununcountablelegalformal

   Something of real value that each party to a contract gives or promises, making the agreement legally binding.

   Grammar: Used as an uncountable noun in legal contexts; it does not take 'a' or a plural.

   Patterns

   • adequate consideration for a contract
   • provide adequate consideration
   • lack adequate consideration

   The court found that the payment of one dollar was not adequate consideration for the transfer of the property.

   For a contract to be enforceable, there must be adequate consideration from both sides.

   The lawyer argued that the promise to pay was adequate consideration even though the amount was small.

Common combinations

adequate consideration for

The services provided were adequate consideration for the promise to pay.

provide adequate consideration

Both parties must provide adequate consideration to make the contract valid.

lack of adequate consideration

The agreement failed due to a lack of adequate consideration.

find adequate consideration

The judge could not find adequate consideration in the oral promise.

Synonyms and how they differ

valuable consideration

A broader legal term for anything of value exchanged; 'adequate consideration' emphasizes that the value is sufficient, while 'valuable consideration' only requires some value.

sufficient consideration

Very close in meaning, but 'sufficient' focuses on legal sufficiency, while 'adequate' often implies fairness or proportionality.

Opposites

Word family

consideration noun

In general use, careful thought; in law, something of value exchanged in a contract.

consider verb

To think carefully about something.

Commonly confused: adequate consideration or consideration?

Practice

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Write a sentence using “adequate consideration”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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