adequate

UK: /ˈædɪkwət/ US: /ˈædɪkwɪt/ ,(ad′i kwit)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

ad•e•quate /ˈædɪkwɪt/   adj. 

1. as much or as good as necessary for some requirement or purpose:
   adequate rainfall for farming.
2. barely sufficient:
   His work was adequate, nothing more.

ad•e•qua•cy /ˈædɪkwəsi/  n. [uncountable]
ad•e•quate•ly, adv. 
ad•e•quate•ness, n. [uncountable]

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

ad•e•quate  (ad′i kwit), adj. 

1. as much or as good as necessary for some requirement or purpose;
   fully sufficient, suitable, or fit (often fol. by to or for):
   This car is adequate to our needs. adequate food for fifty people.
2. barely sufficient or suitable:
   Being adequate is not good enough.
3. Law reasonably sufficient for starting legal action:
   adequate grounds.

• Latin adaequātus matched (past participle of adaequāre). See ad-, equal, -ate¹
• 1610–20

ad′e•quate•ly, adv. 
ad′e•quate•ness, n. 
Synonyms

• 1. satisfactory, competent, sufficient, enough; capable.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

adequate / ˈædɪkwɪt/ adjective

1. able to fulfil a need or requirement without being abundant, outstanding, etc

Etymology: 17th Century: from Latin adaequāre to equalize, from ad- to + aequus equal

adequacy / ˈædɪkwəsɪ/ noun

ˈadequately adverb