adequate

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adjective ad·e·quate \ ˈa-di-kwət \

Updated on: 11 Sep 2017

Definition of adequate

1 :sufficient for a specific need or requirement

adequate time

an amount of money adequate to supply their needs

; also :good enough :of a quality that is good or acceptable

a machine that does an adequate job

:of a quality that is acceptable but not better than acceptable

Her first performance was merely adequate.

2 :lawfully and reasonably sufficient

adequate grounds for a lawsuit

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adequately

adverb

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adequateness

noun

See adequate defined for English-language learners

See adequate defined for kids

Examples of adequate in a Sentence

Then, during the spring and summer, allow adequate recovery by taking one or two days off the bike each week and scaling back the intensity of your rides one week out of every month. —Selene Yeager, Bicycling, January/February 2008
… they are adequate for almost any computing need. —Michael Meyer, Newsweek, 26 Oct. 1998
… the government would have to bail out any bidder with less adequate resources … —The Economist, 30 Aug.-5 Sept. 1986
The garden hasn't been getting adequate water.
The food was more than adequate for the six of us.
The school lunch should be adequate to meet the nutritional needs of growing children.
The machine does an adequate job.
The tent should provide adequate protection from the elements.
The quality of his work was perfectly adequate.
Your grades are adequate but I think you can do better.
The quality of his work was only adequate.

Recent Examples of adequate from the Web

Many say that if adequate sleep is a priority, the presidency is not for you.

— the tylt, AL.com, "Do presidents need vacations?," 7 Aug. 2017
Being so far from the center of Israel presented a challenge to JNF in terms of Halutza's residents receiving basic services like adequate medical care.

— randall p. lieberman, Jewish Journal, "Boca couple support Israeli child care center," 26 July 2017
Green can determine if a dancer has adequate strength, balance and range of motion to safely begin pointe — dancing on the tips of your toes.

— brooke henderson, miamiherald, "Raising the barre for dance-related injuries," 22 July 2017
Being a teenage mother of a child with Zika syndrome, without adequate support from the government—that’s inexplicably tough.

— margaret wurth, Teen Vogue, "How Zika Impacts Teens in Brazil," 13 July 2017
Liu's supporters and international human rights groups have questioned whether Chinese authorities provided Liu with adequate care during his imprisonment.

— gerry shih, chicagotribune.com, "China's jailed Nobel Peace Prize laureate is in life-threatening condition: hospital," 12 July 2017
Regardless, Borden said the Tournament of Stars was adequate preparation.

— kyle williams, The Courier-Journal, "Providence standout, Louisville commitment Borden gets tested at USA Baseball Tournament," 12 July 2017
There is obviously a distinct impact of harsh immigration policies on black immigrants, but both groups face criminalization, economic inequality, lack of access to adequate health care, and educational inequities.

— Longreads, "An Unforgiving Legal System Welcomes Black Immigrants to America," 10 July 2017
Rural areas have been left without adequate broadband and with shrinking opportunities.

— charles p. pierce, Esquire, "The Move for Democrats After 2016 Is to...Embrace Clintonism?," 6 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'adequate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of adequate

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: circa 1617

See Words from the same year

adequate Synonyms

Synonym Discussion of adequate

sufficient, enough, adequate, competent mean being what is necessary or desirable. sufficient suggests a close meeting of a need.

- sufficient savings

enough is less exact in suggestion than sufficient.

- do you have enough food?

adequate may imply barely meeting a requirement.

- the service was adequate

competent suggests measuring up to all requirements without question or being adequately adapted to an end.

- had no competent notion of what was going on

ADEQUATE Defined for English Language Learners

adequate

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adjective

Definition of adequate for English Language Learners

: enough for some need or requirement
: good enough : of a quality that is good or acceptable : of a quality that is acceptable but not better than acceptable

ADEQUATE Defined for Kids

adequate

play

adjective ad·e·quate \ ˈa-di-kwət \

Definition of adequate for Students

1 :¹enough

Be sure you have adequate time to get ready.

2 :good enough

The lunch provides adequate nutrition.

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adequately

adverb

Law Dictionary

adequate

adjective ad·e·quate

legal Definition of adequate

:lawfully and reasonably sufficient

adequate grounds for a lawsuit

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ADEQUATE Defined for English Language Learners

adequate

Definition of adequate for English Language Learners

ADEQUATE Defined for Kids

adequate

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adequately

Law Dictionary

adequate

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