Meaning & use
sufficeth
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“sufficeth” is a form of “suffice”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meaning
verbintransitivearchaicreligion
Is enough; is sufficient (old third-person singular form of 'suffice').
Grammar: Old verb ending -eth for he, she or it; today the same idea is 'suffices' or 'is enough'.
Patterns
- something sufficeth
- sufficeth unto someone
'My grace sufficeth thee,' the old translation reads.
In the sermon he quoted the line 'sufficeth unto the day the evil thereof.'
The poet wrote that a single kind word sufficeth in times of sorrow.
Common combinations
- sufficeth unto
- The old prayer says that mercy sufficeth unto all who ask.
- grace sufficeth
- The hymn repeats the words 'grace sufficeth me'.
- sufficeth thee
- In the archaic text, the speaker promises that his help sufficeth thee.
Synonyms and how they differ
- suffices
- The modern third-person form; use this in ordinary writing and speech.
- is enough
- The plain everyday way to say the same thing, with no old-fashioned flavor.
Word family
- suffice verb
- To be enough for a purpose.
- sufficient adjective
- Enough for what is needed.
- sufficiency noun
- The state of having enough of something.
Commonly confused: sufficeth or suffices? sufficeth or suffocates?
sufficeth vs suffices
This is the modern form used today, while 'sufficeth' belongs to older texts.
sufficeth vs suffocates
Sounds a little similar but means has trouble breathing; the meanings are unrelated.
Practice
In which kind of text would you most likely meet 'sufficeth'?
Choose one answer.
'Sufficeth' is an archaic form kept alive mainly in older religious writing. Modern news, texting and science writing would use 'is enough' or 'suffices' instead.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “sufficeth”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.