suffice
/səˈfʌɪs
/verb [no object]
1Be enough or adequate: a quick look should suffice [with infinitive]: two examples should suffice to prove the contention...
- My handwriting was adequate for everyday purposes, my avocado green IBM Selectric sufficed for more formal projects, and I happily received my mail through the post office.
- But Babu sees more in life than the praise, gratitude, and $7-a-day wages that have sufficed for more traditional Sherpas.
- Through all this he lived in the College too, in a single small room that sufficed for his bachelor requirements.
Synonyms
be enough, be sufficient, be adequate, do, serve, meet requirements, satisfy demands, answer/fulfil/meet one's needs, answer/serve the purpose, pass muster
informal fit/fill the bill, make the grade, cut the mustard, hit the spot
1.1 [with object] Meet the needs of: simple mediocrity cannot suffice them...
- A small cheque in the post, by way of consultancy fee, will suffice Brian.
- His hands could only get a fallen feather which would only suffice him for a short while.
- There were four of them, all a good size, and you could see how they would easily suffice two people sharing.
Phrases
suffice (it) to say
Origin
Middle English: from Old French suffis-, stem of suffire, from Latin sufficere 'put under, meet the need of', from sub- 'under' + facere 'make'.
Rhymes
- native potato
- native problem
- native question
- native quince
- native reserve
- native rock
- native son
- native speaker
- native state
- native tamarind
- native thrush
- native title
- native trade
- native trout
- native willow
- native wit
- nativisation
- nativise
- nativised
- nativism
- nativist
- nativistic
- nativity
- nativity play
- nativity scene