sufficient

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective sufficient contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of sufficient are adequate, competent, and enough. While all these words mean "being what is necessary or desirable," sufficient suggests a close meeting of a need.

sufficient savings

When might adequate be a better fit than sufficient?

The synonyms adequate and sufficient are sometimes interchangeable, but adequate may imply barely meeting a requirement.

the service was adequate

Where would competent be a reasonable alternative to sufficient?

Although the words competent and sufficient have much in common, 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

How are the words enough and sufficient related?

Enough is less exact in suggestion than sufficient.

do you have enough food?

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of sufficient That fingerprint was sufficient enough to qualify for a warrant to search the rest of the Norman home, where tests of the pipes leading out of the washing machine revealed some matter containing Beryl’s DNA. Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2025 An inch or two of mulch is sufficient for much of the South, and a thin layer of mulch is less likely to attract voles. Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 31 Oct. 2025 Frail, undernourished, lacking sufficient clothing, and shoeless, Kammo is overburdened by chores and in constant fear of chastisement. JSTOR Daily, 30 Oct. 2025 The presiding judge granted Sweeney's attorney's request to change the charge to second-degree murder or manslaughter as the court lacked sufficient evidence to try him for first-degree murder since predetermination was not established. Rebecca Aizin, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for sufficient
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sufficient
Adjective
  • The hotels in the area were adequate but utilitarian.
    Bambina Wise, Footwear News, 7 Nov. 2025
  • Each facility must have sufficient staff to support visitor-management and have adequate disinfecting supplies and personal protective equipment for staffers.
    Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • The full selection, including Bib Gourmand restaurants (an honor that highlights restaurants offering high-quality food at reasonable prices), recognizes 228 restaurants spanning 44 cuisine types, shining a national and international spotlight on the varied cuisines and talented chefs of the South.
    Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 3 Nov. 2025
  • The Penguins have a pretty reasonable amount of depth on the blue line, especially on the right side, which would make that move easier to absorb.
    Josh Yohe, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • The Constitution doesn’t let government officials pick which viewpoints are acceptable.
    Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 7 Nov. 2025
  • Hans von Spakovsky, a former DOJ attorney and senior fellow at the Heritage Foundation, said the politicization started when Eric Holder became attorney general in 2009 and altered the definition of what was considered acceptable protocol under the DOJ, from that point onward.
    Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • To receive the senior rate, a person must apply to the Rogers Water Utilities and present satisfactory proof of age, such as a government issued identification card, driver's license, passport or birth certificate.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 9 Nov. 2025
  • His plan and his answers in terms of navigating those name, image, and likeness waters were not viewed satisfactory enough.
    Matt Audilet, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • Moreover, within wider patriarchal systems that afford few women, regardless of marital status, economic and social security, polygyny may not just be a tolerable choice but in some contexts a preferred arrangement with tangible benefits for both genders.
    David W. Lawson, The Conversation, 21 Oct. 2025
  • But Gault always knew there’d be food on the table and heat making winter nights tolerable.
    Jeff Pearlman, Rolling Stone, 17 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The University of Florida product made a decent impact his rookie season, appearing in 12 games and rushing 38 times for 161 yards and a touchdown.
    Noah Camras, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025
  • Meanwhile, food aboard the International Space Station and the Tiangong leaves much to be desired, with the menus reading like something more suited to iron rations for a Round Britain yacht race than a decent meal.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 4 Nov. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sufficient.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sufficient. Accessed 10 Nov. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on sufficient

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!