adequate

adequate — adjective

1. having the amount or standard needed to do a job properly, even if it is nothing

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

having the amount or standard needed to do a job properly, even if it is nothing special.

Example

The clinic had adequate supplies to treat children after the storm.

adequate + plural noun + to-infinitive

Judy's English is adequate for a short phone call with customers.

adequate for + purpose

Common collocations
  • adequate time
  • adequate money
  • adequate space
  • adequate training
  • adequate for the job
Synonyms
  • enough

    more everyday and less formal

  • sufficient

    more formal; often used in official or written contexts

  • acceptable

    can suggest approval, not just meeting a need

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

adequate for something

adequate to do something

Usage Note

Often used for minimum standards rather than praise. It commonly appears before nouns such as 'time', 'money', 'space', 'training', and 'evidence', or with 'for' to name the purpose.

Common Mistakes

The room was adequate of ten guests.
The room was adequate for ten guests.
use 'for' before the purpose or group served.
We had adequate to finish the work.
We had adequate time to finish the work.
'adequate' usually describes a noun such as 'time', 'money', or 'space', not an omitted thing.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

'Adequate' says that something reaches the minimum level needed for a purpose. It is often neutral and can even sound slightly weak, as if the result does the job but is not impressive. 'Enough' is the most everyday choice and is broader, especially in speech. 'Sufficient' is close in meaning but more formal, so it appears more often in instructions, reports, and official writing. 'Acceptable' can overlap with 'adequate', but it often adds the idea that people, rules, or standards approve of something. For example, an adequate meal gives you what you need, enough cash lets you buy the ticket, sufficient evidence supports the case, and acceptable behaviour follows the rules.

adequate ↗enough ↗sufficient ↗acceptable ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • adequate time
  • adequate money
  • adequate space
  • adequate training
  • adequate evidence

Adverbs

  • barely adequate
  • perfectly adequate
  • more than adequate

Phrases

  • adequate for the job
  • provide adequate support
  • have adequate resources

Prepositions

  • adequate for (something)
  • adequate to (do something)

Etymology

LatinEnglish

English borrowed 'adequate' from Latin 'adaequatus', the past participle of 'adaequare', meaning 'to make equal' or 'to bring up to a level'. The root idea is that something matches what is required.