Main Entry:

ad·e·quate

Pronunciation:

\-kwət\

Function:

adjective

Etymology:

Latin adaequatus, past participle of adaequare to make equal, from ad- + aequare to equal — more at equable

Date:

circa 1617

1: sufficient for a specific requirement <adequate taxation of goods> ; also : barely sufficient or satisfactory <her first performance was merely adequate>2: lawfully and reasonably sufficient <adequate grounds for a lawsuit>

synonyms see sufficient

— ad·e·quate·ly adverb

— ad·e·quate·ness noun