inadequate

adjective

in·​ad·​e·​quate (ˌ)i-ˈna-di-kwət 

: not adequate : not enough or good enough : insufficient

inadequate equipment

also : not capable

was inadequate as a leader

inadequately adverb

inadequateness noun

Synonyms

• deficient
• insufficient
• lacking
• low
• scarce
• short
• shy
• wanting

Examples of inadequate in a Sentence

These supplies are inadequate to meet our needs.

We were given very inadequate information.

I felt inadequate to the task.

Her brother's success and popularity always made her feel inadequate.

Recent Examples on the Web

Target denied in court filings that its gift card security practices were inadequate and that its cards were susceptible to third-party tampering. —Craig Silverman, ProPublica, 10 Apr. 2024

The review concluded that the N.H.S.’s standard of care was inadequate, with long waiting lists for access to drug treatments and few routes to address the mental health concerns that may be contributing to gender distress. —Azeen Ghorayshi, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2024

This being America, posture panic was swiftly commercialized, with a range of products marketed to appeal to the eighty per cent of the population whose carriage had been deemed inadequate by posture surveys. —Rebecca Mead, The New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2024

That’s why senior leadership's attention to this critical challenge is often inadequate. —Tyler Shepherd, USA TODAY, 8 Apr. 2024

Missouri Department of Corrections via AP, File Medication would be inadequate and if the procedure is necessary, Dorsey should receive a local anesthetic, said Megan Crane, another attorney for him. —CBS News, 5 Apr. 2024

To be sure, the capacity at the border is inadequate to meet the demands of the current situation. —Wendy Edelberg and Tara Watson, TIME, 5 Apr. 2024

To be sure, deflation is more a symptom than a cause of the country’s challenges, which in part lie with inadequate demand for consumption and capital spending by private business, but neither did China’s leadership say much about these problems either. —Milton Ezrati, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024

This is more than just an inadequate investigation. —Erin Moriarty, CBS News, 30 Mar. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1671, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

inadequate

adjective

in·​ad·​e·​quate (ˈ)in-ˈad-i-kwət 

: not adequate : not enough or not good enough

an inadequate supply of food

inadequately adverb

Medical Definition

inadequate

1 of 2 adjective

in·​ad·​e·​quate -i-kwət 

1

: not adequate : deficient

an inadequate dose

inadequate perfusion

inadequate diets

2

: lacking the capacity for psychological maturity or adequate social adjustment

an inadequate personality

inadequately adverb

inadequate

2 of 2 noun

: one who is inadequate especially in terms of social adjustment