adequate

[ ad-i-kwit ]
See synonyms for adequate on Thesaurus.com
adjective
  1. as much or as good as necessary for some requirement or purpose; fully sufficient, suitable, or fit (often followed by to or for): This car is adequate to our needs.They’ll provide adequate food for fifty people.

  2. barely sufficient or suitable: Being adequate is not good enough.

  1. Law. reasonably sufficient for starting legal action: adequate grounds.

Origin of adequate

1
First recorded in 1610–20; from Latin adaequātus “matched” (past participle of adaequāre ); see ad-, equal, -ate1

Other words for adequate

Other words from adequate

  • ad·e·quate·ly, adverb
  • ad·e·quate·ness, noun
  • pre·ad·e·quate, adjective
  • pre·ad·e·quate·ness, noun
  • qua·si-ad·e·quate, adjective
  • su·per·ad·e·quate, adjective
  • su·per·ad·e·quate·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

British Dictionary definitions for adequate

adequate

/ (ˈædɪkwɪt) /


adjective
  1. able to fulfil a need or requirement without being abundant, outstanding, etc

Origin of adequate

1
C17: from Latin adaequāre to equalize, from ad- to + aequus equal

Derived forms of adequate

  • adequacy (ˈædɪkwəsɪ), noun
  • adequately, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012