as in acceptability
the quality or state of meeting one's needs adequately
the fire department sent someone to determine the adequacy of the building's evacuation plan
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Recent Examples of adequacy
Those cracks hadn't been caught in regular maintenance done on the plane, which raised questions about the adequacy of the maintenance schedule.
—
CBS News, 15 Jan. 2026
For the better part of eight years after Super Bowl 50, the Broncos were an organization with delusions of adequacy, fielding mediocre teams with major problems with ownership drama, mismanaged rosters, ghost drafts and an endless carousel of underwhelming quarterbacks.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 11 Jan. 2026
In his first lead movie role, Tim Robinson plays Craig Waterman, a man whose life of suburban adequacy is disrupted when local weatherman Austin Carmichael (Paul Rudd) moves in down the street and platonically sweeps Craig off his feet.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 1 Dec. 2025
This includes $565 million in adequacy funding, which is distributed to school districts based on a state formula designed to ensure every district has the resources needed to provide an adequate education.
—Alia Shoaib, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for adequacy
CBS News, 15 Jan. 2026
For the better part of eight years after Super Bowl 50, the Broncos were an organization with delusions of adequacy, fielding mediocre teams with major problems with ownership drama, mismanaged rosters, ghost drafts and an endless carousel of underwhelming quarterbacks.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 11 Jan. 2026
In his first lead movie role, Tim Robinson plays Craig Waterman, a man whose life of suburban adequacy is disrupted when local weatherman Austin Carmichael (Paul Rudd) moves in down the street and platonically sweeps Craig off his feet.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 1 Dec. 2025
This includes $565 million in adequacy funding, which is distributed to school districts based on a state formula designed to ensure every district has the resources needed to provide an adequate education.
—Alia Shoaib, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for adequacy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for adequacy
Noun
-
Ultimately, the voters decide on acceptability.—
Alec Johnson,
jsonline.com,
26 Feb. 2026
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The second difference is acceptability.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
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When reached for comment, the Midway Rising development team did not address the letter or the sufficiency of the project’s environmental analysis.—
Jennifer Van Grove,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
3 Mar. 2026
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The City Clerk is still required to review the petition and determine the sufficiency of the petition, as is dictated by Wisconsin statutes, the city wrote in its post.—
Claudia Levens,
jsonline.com,
16 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Shamrock Shake returns at McDonald's Costco isn't the only one offering minty goodness this season.—
Saman Shafiq,
USA Today,
23 Feb. 2026
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Your weeknights just got jam-packed with one-bowl goodness.—
Mary Shannon Wells,
Southern Living,
21 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Adequacy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adequacy. Accessed 6 Mar. 2026.
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