adequate
AD-ih-kwuht
Adequate (adjective) means Enough to meet a need or requirement; sufficient. Example: “We were told that the room had adequate space for twenty people.”
adjective
1
Enough to meet a need or requirement; sufficient.
"We were told that the room had adequate space for twenty people."
"The salary was adequate to cover their basic living costs."
"Make sure there is adequate lighting in the stairwell."
How to use adequate
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishJust enough — meeting the minimum standard needed, without necessarily being impressive.
Common mistake
Adequate often implies "just barely enough," not "excellent" — don't use it as a compliment if you mean something is great.
Common pairings
adequate supply
adequate protection
more than adequate
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Word forms
- Third person singular
- adequates
- Past tense
- adequated
- Comparative
- more adequate
- Superlative
- most adequate
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
We were told that the room had _____ space for twenty people.
Etymology
From Latin adaequatus, "made equal to," from adaequare, "to make equal," from ad- ("to") plus aequare ("to equalize").
Synonyms
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Related words
Rhymes for adequate
See all rhymes for adequate →Frequently asked questions
What does “adequate” mean?
The word “adequate” means enough to meet a need or requirement; sufficient. In plain terms, just enough — meeting the minimum standard needed, without necessarily being impressive.
How do you pronounce “adequate”?
“Adequate” is pronounced AD-ih-kwuht (/ˈæd.ə.kwɪt/ in IPA).
How do you use “adequate” in a sentence?
Here is “adequate” used in a sentence: “The salary was adequate to cover their basic living costs.”
What part of speech is “adequate”?
“Adequate” is an adjective.
Where does the word “adequate” come from?
The word “adequate” comes from Latin. From Latin adaequatus, "made equal to," from adaequare, "to make equal," from ad- ("to") plus aequare ("to equalize").
Is “adequate” a common word?
“Adequate” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B2 level.
What is the difference between adequate and sufficient?
Both mean enough to meet a need or requirement, and in most contexts they are interchangeable. Sufficient is slightly more formal and mostly quantitative, while adequate often adds a qualitative shade — good enough in standard as well as in amount — and can sound faintly unenthusiastic, as in "the food was adequate."
Is calling something adequate a compliment?
Usually not. Although adequate literally means sufficient to meet a requirement, in everyday use it often implies "acceptable but no better," so describing a meal or a performance as adequate can read as faint praise. Tone and context decide how lukewarm it sounds.
Should you say adequate for or adequate to?
Use adequate for with a purpose or need ("the budget is adequate for our needs") and adequate to chiefly in the fixed phrase "adequate to the task" or before an infinitive ("supplies adequate to feed four"). Adequate for is by far the more common pattern in everyday writing.
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