Definition of SUFFICIENTLY

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 That means even with 20 passengers there will be sufficient space to socially distance. — Alison Dirr, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Milwaukee County buses to raise passenger limit to 20 starting Monday," 8 Apr. 2021 The Advantage SafeBalance account has a monthly fee of $4.95 but charges no overdraft or non-sufficient fund fees. — Susan Tompor, Detroit Free Press, "Not having a bank account is costing metro Detroiters big money," 8 Apr. 2021 At the same time, regulating emitters can encourage innovation in mature industries and is absolutely essential for ensuring sufficient emissions reductions across the economy. — Jessika E. Trancik, The Conversation, "Technology innovation gives government leverage to drive down emissions fast – here’s how," 7 Apr. 2021 The pandemic didn’t have a significant effect on voter turnout, according to county clerks’ offices, with sufficient alternative options for people to vote early or by mail instead of in person. — Clare Proctor, chicagotribune.com, "Suburban elections yield low voter turnout," 7 Apr. 2021 Officials emphasize the move hinges on two factors: a sufficient vaccine supply and stable and low hospitalization numbers. — Los Angeles Times, "Today’s Headlines: California sets a reopening date," 7 Apr. 2021 Adding Sammy Watkins isn't sufficient to repair the receiving corps. — Michael Middlehurst-schwartz, USA TODAY, "NFL mock draft 2021: Sam Darnold trade reshuffles QB outlook in top 10," 7 Apr. 2021 The Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is a statewide agency that provides investigative and other services to help solve crimes, often to back up smaller law enforcement agencies that lack sufficient resources. — Steve Karnowski, Star Tribune, "EXPLAINER: Trial highlights Bureau of Criminal Apprehension," 7 Apr. 2021 But the system is not designed with sufficient guardrails to ensure that this is the case, nor is there thorough, consistent oversight. — Whizy Kim, refinery29.com, "The Story Of Britney Spears Is A Story Of Disability Rights," 6 Apr. 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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