adequate
adjective
ad·e·quate ˈa-di-kwət 
1
: sufficient for a specific need or requirement
adequate time
an amount of money adequate to supply their needs
also : good enough : of a quality that is good or acceptable
a machine that does an adequate job
: of a quality that is acceptable but not better than acceptable Her first performance was merely adequate.
2
: lawfully and reasonably sufficient
adequate grounds for a lawsuit
adequateness noun
Synonyms
- acceptable
- all right
- decent
- fairish
- fine
- good
- OK
- okay
- passable
- respectable
- satisfactory
- serviceable
- tolerable
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Then, during the spring and summer, allow adequate recovery by taking one or two days off the bike each week and scaling back the intensity of your rides one week out of every month. 
Selene Yeager, Bicycling, January/February 2008 … they are adequate for almost any computing need. Michael Meyer, Newsweek, 26 Oct. 1998 … the government would have to bail out any bidder with less adequate resources … The Economist, 30 Aug.-5 Sept. 1986 The garden hasn't been getting adequate water. The food was more than adequate for the six of us. The school lunch should be adequate to meet the nutritional needs of growing children. The machine does an adequate job. The tent should provide adequate protection from the elements. The quality of his work was perfectly adequate. Your grades are adequate but I think you can do better. The quality of his work was only adequate. See More
Selene Yeager, Bicycling, January/February 2008 … they are adequate for almost any computing need. Michael Meyer, Newsweek, 26 Oct. 1998 … the government would have to bail out any bidder with less adequate resources … The Economist, 30 Aug.-5 Sept. 1986 The garden hasn't been getting adequate water. The food was more than adequate for the six of us. The school lunch should be adequate to meet the nutritional needs of growing children. The machine does an adequate job. The tent should provide adequate protection from the elements. The quality of his work was perfectly adequate. Your grades are adequate but I think you can do better. The quality of his work was only adequate. See More Recent Examples on the Web Authorities in Shenzhen and Chengdu have reassured their residents that food and drug supplies are adequate and that basic delivery and ride-hailing services can continue to operate. Raffaele Huang, WSJ, 3 Sep. 2022 Gross domestic product and the inflation rate are the only economic factors the model uses, and may not be adequate for analyzing the state of the economy now, with the pandemic and Russia’s war in Ukraine causing disruptions around the globe. Jeff Sommer, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2022 Civil and voting rights experts said the plan was not adequate to prepare for the election. Reuters, CNN, 17 Aug. 2022 The Allworth Advice is that robo-advisers are adequate for a certain type of investor who’s at a certain point in their career and when investment management is all that really matters. Amy Wagner And Steve Sprovach, The Enquirer, 12 Aug. 2022 The hold, however, was perfectly adequate on the more groomed surfaces for which it was intended, and, in that context, its light weight, gentle wrap and exceptional breathability were heartily welcomed. Jonathan Beverly, Outside Online, 9 Aug. 2022 Are your cybersecurity tools and controls adequate to defend against the overwhelming volume of sophisticated threats? Tony Bradley, Forbes, 8 Aug. 2022 Instead, the green-screen backdrops of fiery plumes and impossibly tall palaces are merely adequate. David Sims, The Atlantic, 5 Aug. 2022 The challenge now for O’Connell and other White House officials is to make sure the supplies in the warehouse are adequate for any future infectious disease outbreaks or other threats, known and unknown. Tonya Bauer, NBC News, 28 July 2022 See More
Raffaele Huang, WSJ, 3 Sep. 2022 Gross domestic product and the inflation rate are the only economic factors the model uses, and may not be adequate for analyzing the state of the economy now, with the pandemic and Russia’s war in Ukraine causing disruptions around the globe. Jeff Sommer, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2022 Civil and voting rights experts said the plan was not adequate to prepare for the election. Reuters, CNN, 17 Aug. 2022 The Allworth Advice is that robo-advisers are adequate for a certain type of investor who’s at a certain point in their career and when investment management is all that really matters. Amy Wagner And Steve Sprovach, The Enquirer, 12 Aug. 2022 The hold, however, was perfectly adequate on the more groomed surfaces for which it was intended, and, in that context, its light weight, gentle wrap and exceptional breathability were heartily welcomed. Jonathan Beverly, Outside Online, 9 Aug. 2022 Are your cybersecurity tools and controls adequate to defend against the overwhelming volume of sophisticated threats? Tony Bradley, Forbes, 8 Aug. 2022 Instead, the green-screen backdrops of fiery plumes and impossibly tall palaces are merely adequate. David Sims, The Atlantic, 5 Aug. 2022 The challenge now for O’Connell and other White House officials is to make sure the supplies in the warehouse are adequate for any future infectious disease outbreaks or other threats, known and unknown. Tonya Bauer, NBC News, 28 July 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
borrowed from Latin adaequātus, past participle of adaequāre "to equalize, put on an equal footing," from ad- ad- + aequāre "to make level, equalize" — more at equate
First Known Use
circa 1617, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Kids Definition
adequate
adjective
ad·e·quate ˈa-di-kwət
1
: enough entry 1
Be sure you have adequate time to get ready.
2
: good enough
The lunch provides adequate nutrition.
Legal Definition
adequate
adjective
ad·e·quate
: lawfully and reasonably sufficient
adequate grounds for a lawsuit
adequate
adjective
as in decent
of a level of quality that meets one's needs or standards this old computer is probably adequate if you just want to type a term paper Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- decent
- satisfactory
- good
- fine
- acceptable
- serviceable
- tolerable
- useful
- okay
- suitable
- respectable
- passable
- minimal
- all right
- appropriate
- fairish
- proper
- worthy
- OK
- standard
- agreeable
- endurable
- satisfying
- average
- fair
- up to snuff
- correct
- bearable
- fitting
- mediocre
- middling
- ordinary
- common
- indifferent
- sufferable
- right
- meet
- unexceptional
- due
- seemly
- so-so
- run-of-the-mine
- gratifying
- second-rate
- run-of-mine
- run-of-the-mill
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- insufficient
- inadequate
- lacking
- unsatisfactory
- deficient
- unacceptable
- improper
- insufficient
- wanting
- useless
- unsuitable
- wrong
- objectionable
- unworthy
- unfit
- incomplete
- imperfect
- defective
- cheap
- disagreeable
- bad
- indecent
- shoddy
- poor
- short
- pitiful
- meager
- faulty
- lamentable
- meagre
- scanty
- skimpy
- spare
- optimal
- special
- shabby
- maximum
- mean
- optimum
- intolerable
- great
- stingy
- unbearable
- miserly
- exceptional
- disreputable
- superior
- unendurable
- extreme
- atrocious
- supreme
- unparalleled
- superb
- insufferable
- dissatisfying
- exquisite
- splendid
- fancy
- miserable
- wonderful
- prime
- terrific
- premium
- execrable
- divine
- unmatched
- wretched
- matchless
- neat
- vile
- peerless
- stellar
- marvelous
- top
- superlative
- unsurpassed
- keen
- marvellous
- noble
- mean
- classic
- grand
- heavenly
- fabulous
- niggardly
- capital
- sensational
- par excellence
- sterling
- preeminent
- swell
- nifty
- banner
- dandy
- maximized
- boss
- first-class
- high-grade
- first-rate
- top-notch
- groovy
- crackerjack
- tip-top
- supernal
- bang-up
- jim-dandy
- A1
Synonym Chooser
Some common synonyms of adequate are competent, enough, and sufficient. While all these words mean "being what is necessary or desirable," adequate may imply barely meeting a requirement.
the service was adequate
The words competent and adequate are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, 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
Enough is less exact in suggestion than sufficient.
do you have enough food?
Although the words sufficient and adequate have much in common, sufficient suggests a close meeting of a need.
sufficient savings