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.
—
Josh Funk, Chicago Tribune, 14 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
Josh Funk, Chicago Tribune, 14 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
-
The second difference is acceptability.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
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Local private players are learning that being US-aligned is becoming its own form of credibility, an argument for political acceptability and, potentially, financing access.—
Ruben Nyanguila,
semafor.com,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
But Chief Judge William Pryor pressed Klugh on the sufficiency of the pleadings.—
Robert Alexander,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 Nov. 2025
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The sufficiency of private-sector capital in enabling AI advances is wonderful for taxpayers, but the limits of this approach are becoming apparent.—
BEN BUCHANAN,
Foreign Affairs,
21 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Head over to the retailer’s denim section and see the goodness for yourself.—
Annie Blackman,
InStyle,
30 Jan. 2026
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All of that green goodness bottoms out at a six-pack high speed lift with heated seats and a bubble enclosure to cut through the wind.—
Graham Averill,
Outside,
29 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Adequacy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adequacy. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.
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