satisfactory

satisfactory — adjective

1. having the quality or standard that is required in a given situation, so that on

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

having the quality or standard that is required in a given situation, so that one does not need to look for anything better or different.

Example

Mert checked his exam grades and found them <hl>satisfactory</hl>, though lower than expected.

satisfactory + though-clause for unexpected contrast

The hotel room was clean enough — <hl>satisfactory</hl> for the price they paid.

collocation: satisfactory for [price/cost/budget]

Common collocations
  • satisfactory result
  • satisfactory outcome
  • satisfactory performance
  • satisfactory progress
  • satisfactory rate
  • satisfactory service
  • satisfactory explanation
  • satisfactory condition
Synonyms
  • acceptable

    more common in everyday speech; implies the minimum standard is met

  • adequate

    suggests just barely enough, with no extras

  • sufficient

    focuses on meeting a specific quantity or amount needed

  • decent

    informal; adds a slightly positive tone

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

be + satisfactory

satisfactory + noun

consider + noun + satisfactory

Usage Note

Describes the thing being judged (result, work, condition), not the person's feeling about it. To express that a person feels content, use satisfied instead. Often takes an adverb modifier such as quite, generally, or perfectly before it.

Common Mistakes

I feel satisfactory about my grade this semester.
I am satisfied with my grade this semester.
satisfactory describes the grade itself, not how you feel.
The doctor said my test results were satisfaction.
The doctor said my test results were satisfactory.
use the adjective satisfactory, not the noun satisfaction.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All four words describe something that meets a basic standard, but they differ in tone and emphasis. Acceptable is the most neutral and common in everyday conversation — it simply means "good enough, nothing wrong." Adequate carries a subtle implication of "just barely enough," often with a hint that more would be better: an adequate meal fills you but isn't enjoyable. Sufficient is more formal and focuses on quantity or degree meeting a specific requirement: sufficient evidence to proceed. Decent is informal and slightly warmer: a decent salary is not luxurious but is fair and respectable. In practice, satisfactory sits between acceptable and adequate — it is more positive than adequate (which can sound grudging) but more formal than acceptable. For instance, a satisfactory hotel room is clean and functional; an adequate one just barely works; an acceptable one passes muster without complaint; a decent one feels reasonably good.

acceptable ↗adequate ↗sufficient ↗decent ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • by no means satisfactory
  • more than satisfactory
  • found to be satisfactory

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Satisfactory comes from the Latin verb satisfacere, which is made up of satis meaning 'enough' and facere meaning 'to do' or 'to make.' Added to it is the suffix -ory, meaning 'having the quality of.' So the word literally means 'having the quality of doing enough.' It entered English in the 1400s and was first used to describe religious acts of penance that were 'enough' to make up for wrongdoing. Over time the meaning broadened to any situation where something meets the required standard.