as in lacking
not coming up to an expected measure or meeting a particular need
an inadequate amount of food on hand for so many unexpected guests
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of inadequate
Raise salaries, diminish contractual obligations to teach, include the expenses of laboratory instruction and add the depreciation of expensive buildings — all factors in the sciences — and tuition becomes wholly inadequate to cover even the cost of instruction.
—
Clifford Ando, Chicago Tribune, 14 July 2025
Mooney's parents described inhumane conditions at the detention center, including inadequate food, no mats or blankets for sleeping, and lights kept on all night.
—Daniel Gonzalez, AZCentral.com, 11 July 2025
What began as a clinical workaround in the face of inadequate training has helped fuel a national crisis driven by multiple complex factors, with human costs that are still mounting.
—Hany Demian, Forbes.com, 10 July 2025
Several after-action reports from the massive protests in 2020 found glaring problems in the department’s handling of the demonstrations, concluding that poor planning, inadequate training and inconsistent leadership within the department contributed to disorder in the streets.
—Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for inadequate
Clifford Ando, Chicago Tribune, 14 July 2025
Mooney's parents described inhumane conditions at the detention center, including inadequate food, no mats or blankets for sleeping, and lights kept on all night.
—Daniel Gonzalez, AZCentral.com, 11 July 2025
What began as a clinical workaround in the face of inadequate training has helped fuel a national crisis driven by multiple complex factors, with human costs that are still mounting.
—Hany Demian, Forbes.com, 10 July 2025
Several after-action reports from the massive protests in 2020 found glaring problems in the department’s handling of the demonstrations, concluding that poor planning, inadequate training and inconsistent leadership within the department contributed to disorder in the streets.
—Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for inadequate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inadequate
Adjective
-
Aid organizations have called the sites both dangerous and insufficient.—
Juwayriah Wright,
Time,
30 July 2025
-
Before mortgage interest rates started climbing in 2022, home prices in the Austin area had been increasing sharply due to strong demand and insufficient supply, experts said.—
Shonda Novak,
Austin American Statesman,
30 July 2025
Adjective
-
While specific details of his early childhood are scarce, Weller came of age during a time when distilling was a booming regional industry, often run by farmers and small-business operators who combined their agricultural production with whiskey making.—
Joseph V Micallef,
Forbes.com,
26 July 2025
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Details after paramedics whisked Valdes away are scarce, her friend says, as no one was allowed to ride with her to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center, where she was later pronounced dead.—
Isabel Rivera,
Miami Herald,
24 July 2025
Adjective
-
Designed as federal programs to assist the elderly, disabled individuals and those with low income, both have grown into the largest sources of health care coverage in the country.—
Jasmine Laws,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 July 2025
-
Keep clear of puddles - Driving through puddles or low rainwater areas can cause vehicles to hydroplane or skid out of control Give ample space to large vehicles - Trucks or buses can create a water spray that diminishes visibility.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
30 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Inadequate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inadequate. Accessed 2 Aug. 2025.
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