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 However, a judge later ruled that her original punishment was sufficient. Stephanie Wenger, People.com, 29 June 2025 Mexico’s result and its performance will have come as a relief to Aguirre, after his team had some stumbles in group action, struggling at times against the Dominican Republic and Suriname and finding a 0-0 draw with Costa Rica sufficient to advance in first place. Martin Rogers, New York Times, 28 June 2025 The agency has hit a crossroads brought by sharply rising labor costs and little ability to raise sufficient revenue on its own. Michael Slaten, Oc Register, 27 June 2025 The justices on Wednesday found Milus hadn’t provided sufficient evidence the ski area failed to meet its duties on those points. Betsy Z. Russell, Idaho Statesman, 26 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for sufficient
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sufficient
Adjective
  • Inhibiting top talent’s potential by withholding adequate support for their bold initiatives exposes a company mistaking activity for true, impactful progress.
    Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
  • Reasons the Evidence Is Mixed Bananas are rich in healthy nutrients, including potassium, magnesium, calcium, fiber, and vitamins A, B6, and C.1 Muscles require adequate levels of electrolytes to function properly.
    Carrie Madormo, Verywell Health, 30 June 2025
Adjective
  • In criminal cases, prosecutors must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
    Max Zahn, ABC News, 1 July 2025
  • Seeing penalty abatement for reasonable cause can also be time-consuming and expensive so preventing the misclassification is a better course of action.
    Priya Prakash Royal Esq. LL.M. MBA AEP TEP, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
Adjective
  • Celebrities from Kim Kardashian to Chrissy Teigan to Ari Lennox have been spotted wearing bralettes as shirts, making this a perfectly acceptable garment to wear under a crochet dress.
    Bianca Lambert, Glamour, 24 June 2025
  • Others in the comment section sided with Tallulah and argued that her photos of her father are acceptable.
    Stephanie Giang-Paunon, FOXNews.com, 24 June 2025
Adjective
  • To begin with, bombardment is unlikely to lead to a satisfactory outcome.
    Robert Kagan, The Atlantic, 21 June 2025
  • At highway cruising speed, the SUV is satisfactory.
    James Raia, Mercury News, 16 June 2025
Adjective
  • Many would consider this a tolerable scenario; some, an attractive one.
    Gideon Rose, Foreign Affairs, 23 June 2025
  • The tolerable upper limit (UL) for zinc is 40 mg daily for males and females 19 years and older.
    Melissa Nieves, Verywell Health, 4 June 2025
Adjective
  • Like the Gin Blossoms, who once scored decent hits on the music charts, the pair did pretty well in their 2018 statewide bids for office.
    David Mark, The Washington Examiner, 4 July 2025
  • While most of the passengers hail from outside Cook County, a decent percentage are like me, locals proud to call this toddlin’ town home.
    Donna Vickroy, Chicago Tribune, 4 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Sufficient.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sufficient. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on sufficient

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