insufficient

adjective

in·​suf·​fi·​cient ˌin(t)-sə-ˈfi-shənt How to pronounce insufficient (audio)
: not sufficient : inadequate
insufficient funds
especially : lacking adequate power, capacity, or competence
insufficient bandwidth
insufficiently adverb

Examples of insufficient in a Sentence

The case was thrown out because of insufficient evidence. there's been an insufficient number of volunteers for the job, so I'll have to select someone
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Still, they’re exposed to financial pitfalls, primarily due to insufficient accounting support. Matt Emma, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025 The court ruled there was insufficient evidence provided by the prosecutor’s office that the man suffered permanent disability from his tongue injury. Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 11 Sep. 2025 Meanwhile, Gartner warns that over 40% of agentic AI initiatives will be canceled by 2027, driven by rising costs, weak business cases and insufficient data preparation. Fletcher Keister, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025 Available clinical trial and pharmacovigilance data remain insufficient to establish whether semaglutide increases the risk of birth defects, miscarriage or other adverse outcomes, meaning treatment decisions should be made on a case-by-case basis with a licensed healthcare professional. Daniella Gray, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for insufficient

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin insufficient-, insufficiens, from Latin in- + sufficient-, sufficiens sufficient

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of insufficient was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Insufficient.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/insufficient. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

insufficient

adjective
in·​suf·​fi·​cient ˌin(t)-sə-ˈfish-ənt How to pronounce insufficient (audio)
: not sufficient : inadequate
insufficiently adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on insufficient

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!