sufficient

adjective

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suf·fi·cient | \ sə-ˈfi-shənt

Definition of sufficient

1a : enough to meet the needs of a situation or a proposed end sufficient provisions for a month

b : being a sufficient condition

2 archaic : qualified, competent

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Choose the Right Synonym for sufficient

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

Examples of sufficient in a Sentence

Considering that John Adams was notoriously insecure about his own place in history, he surely would have enjoyed his current renown. He and Abigail get pride of place in the family crypt, down a winding staircase in the church basement. On her plaque in the crypt, she is described as a "model of domestic worth," as though she were a particularly charming chifforobe, and not a woman who survived a troubled marriage with sufficient courage that both houses of Congress adjourned upon hearing of her death. — Charles P. Pierce, Boston Globe Magazine, 26 July 2009 Because canines are, for the most part, unable to naturally manufacture sufficient vitamins to meet their daily requirements, a dog's routinely consumed meals, with some exceptions, must be augmented with them during the manufacturing process. — Tom Ewing, Dog Watch, February 2009 And since this policy is usually accompanied by a pledge to provide sufficient scholarship funds to admitted applicants who cannot afford the full cost (around $45,000 in the Ivy League today), it is an expensive policy. — Andrew Delbanco, New York Review of Books, 29 Mar. 2007 The result was a magnificent example of evidence overkill—the first set of prints alone was sufficient to match the gangbanger to a set in the national Automated Fingerprint Identification System database. — Jessica Snyder Sachs, Popular Science, March 2004 A brisk walk is sufficient to raise your heart rate. There must be sufficient funds in your bank account to cover the check. Her explanation was not sufficient to satisfy the police.

Recent Examples on the Web The state must keep the COVID-19 vaccine supply sufficient for everyone 16 and older who wishes to be inoculated and keep hospitalization stable and low, CBS Sacramento reports. — CBS News, "California to fully reopen June 15 if state meets specific criteria, governor says," 6 Apr. 2021 The salt mixture here is sufficient for four chops. — Tribune News Service, cleveland, "A perfectly easy pork meal for Easter," 2 Apr. 2021 Regulators said that there was not yet sufficient data, as these demographics had been excluded from trials due to higher risk. — Washington Post, "Vaccine studies are expanding. That’s good news for children, pregnant women and those over 65.," 19 Mar. 2021 In contrast, the World Health Organization suggested 1 meter — a little over 3 feet — was sufficient in schools. — Mike Stobbe, chicagotribune.com, "CDC relaxes social distancing guidelines for schools, removing barriers between desks and saying students can now sit 3 feet apart," 19 Mar. 2021 In contrast, the World Health Organization suggested 1 meter — a little over 3 feet — was sufficient in schools. — Mike Stobbe, Anchorage Daily News, "CDC changes school guidance, allowing student desks to be closer together," 19 Mar. 2021 In contrast, the World Health Organization suggested 1 meter — a little over 3 feet — was sufficient in schools. — BostonGlobe.com, "CDC changes school distancing guidance, recommending 3 feet between students instead of 6 feet," 19 Mar. 2021 In contrast, the World Health Organization suggested 1 meter — a little over 3 feet — was sufficient in schools. — Mike Stobbe, Chron, "CDC changes school guidance, allowing desks to be closer," 19 Mar. 2021 In contrast, the World Health Organization suggested 1 meter — a little over 3 feet — was sufficient in schools. — Erin Alberty, The Salt Lake Tribune, "Based in part on data from Utah’s crowded classrooms, CDC says desks can be closer than 6 feet during pandemic," 19 Mar. 2021

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

History and Etymology for sufficient

Middle English sufficiant, sufficient, borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French suffisant, sufficient, in part from present participle of suffire "to suffice," in part borrowed from Latin sufficient-, sufficiens, from present participle of sufficere "to have enough strength or capacity, be adequate" — more at suffice

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