Meaning & use

adequate

adjective·Everyday

Satisfactory or sufficient for a particular purpose or need.

See it in a sentence

The small apartment was adequate for a single person, though a bit cramped.

We need to make sure there is adequate lighting before the show begins.

A note on using this word

Adequate suggests just enough to meet a need, not necessarily more than that, and can sound faintly unenthusiastic when describing quality.

Words with a similar meaning

sufficientsatisfactoryacceptable

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

inadequateinsufficient

Make it your own

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