suffice

verb

suf·fice | \ sə-ˈfīs also -ˈfīz

\

sufficed; sufficing

Definition of suffice

intransitive verb

1 : to meet or satisfy a need : be sufficient a brief note will suffice —often used with an impersonal it suffice it to say that they are dedicated, serious personalities —Cheryl Aldridge

2 : to be competent or capable

transitive verb

: to be enough for a few more should suffice them

Other Words from suffice Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about suffice

Keep scrolling for more

Examples of suffice in a Sentence

She's also decided that she can't countenance her mother, who gives Jane cash but demands that her daughter save every receipt or package to prove that she didn't spend the money on drugs. Suffice it to say, their short-lived truce is over. —Alec Klein, A Class Apart: Prodigies, Pressure, and Passion Inside One of America's Best High Schools, 2007 Thirteen years later, I still don't know exactly what to make of this letter. It goes without saying that a simple thank-you note, especially nearly a year late, would have sufficed. —Scott Turow, Atlantic, December 2005 But what of the meteoroids that come from other large objects in the solar system? To escape from Venus or the Earth, matter must be ejected at a velocity of at least seven miles a second; on Mars, three miles a second will suffice. —Donald Goldsmith, Natural History, September 2003 No, you don't need to write a letter. A phone call will suffice. Her example alone should suffice to show that anything is possible.

Recent Examples on the Web

But as the Supreme Court has explained, the mere fact that statutory language could plausibly apply to extraterritorial conduct does not suffice to overcome the presumption against extraterritoriality. — Ashby Jones, WSJ, "Judge Brett Kavanaugh: In His Own Words," 9 July 2018 All of us have heard how firms need a gaggle of math and data science PhDs to ride the machine learning wave, but that may not suffice. — Aaron Pressman, Fortune, "Data Sheet—What AI Will Do to the Financial System," 31 May 2018 Enzo’s draught and beer selection more than suffices. — Lauren Delgado, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Enzo's Hideaway offers Italian fare paired with prohibition-style cocktails," 14 July 2018 That alone suffices to show that plaintiffs are likely to succeed on the merits of their Establishment Clause claim. — Dylan Matthews, Vox, "Sotomayor read Trump’s tweets too and wants to know why the rest of the Supreme Court didn’t.," 26 June 2018 That alone suffices to show that plaintiffs are likely to succeed on the merits of their Establishment Clause claim. — Anne Branigin, The Root, "Sonia Sotomayor Reads the Supreme Court's Travel Ban Decision for Filth," 26 June 2018 For readers simply seeking a ripping yarn, this volume alone will suffice. — Clea Simon, BostonGlobe.com, "In Jordy Rosenberg’s new novel, it’s a trans, trans, trans, trans world," 22 June 2018 And the Netherlands, where last names so readily suffice: Cruyff, Gullit, Rijkaard, Van Nistelroy, Bergkamp, Koeman, Van Basten. — Bruce Jenkins, San Francisco Chronicle, "The World Cup arrives, with its galaxy of stars," 13 June 2018 Some homeowners believe fire coverage will suffice for homes burned by fire from the lava. — Jennifer Sinco Kelleher, USA TODAY, "Worried Hawaii homeowners want to know: Am I covered if a volcano burns down my house?," 15 May 2018

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

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about suffice

Dictionary Entries near suffice

suffer in silence

suffer the consequences

suffice (it) to say

Phrases Related to suffice

suffice (it) to say

Statistics for suffice

Last Updated

17 Sep 2018

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for suffice

The first known use of suffice was in the 14th century

See more words from the same century

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for suffice

suffice

verb

English Language Learners Definition of suffice

: to be or provide as much as is needed : to be sufficient

See the full definition for suffice in the English Language Learners Dictionary

suffice

verb

suf·fice | \ sə-ˈfīs

\

sufficed; sufficing

Kids Definition of suffice

: to satisfy a need : be enough I'm hungry, but just a snack will suffice.

Keep scrolling for more

WORD OF THE DAY

secrete

to deposit or conceal in a hiding place

Test Your Vocabulary

Name that Food Quiz

Name these cookies!

Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?

TAKE THE QUIZ

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games