What does adequate mean?

Definitions for adequate
ˈæd ɪ kwɪtad·e·quate

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word adequate.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. adequate, equaladjective

    having the requisite qualities or resources to meet a task

    "she had adequate training"; "her training was adequate"; "she was adequate to the job"; "he was equal to the task"

  2. adequate, decent, enoughadjective

    sufficient for the purpose

    "an adequate income"; "the food was adequate"; "a decent wage"; "enough food"; "food enough"

  3. adequate, passable, fair to middling, tolerableadjective

    about average; acceptable

    "more than adequate as a secretary"

Wiktionary

  1. adequateverb

    To equal.

    It [is] an impossibility for any creature to adequate God in his eternity. uE000105695uE001 Shelford.

  2. adequateadjective

    Equal to some requirement; proportionate, or correspondent; fully sufficient; as, powers adequate to a great work; an adequate definition lawfully and physically sufficient.

  3. Etymology: adaequatus, past participle of adaequare; ad + aequare, aequus.

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary

  1. Adequateadjective

    Equal to; proportionate; correspondent to, so as to bear an exact resemblance or proportion. It is used generally in a figurative sense, and often with the particle to.

    Etymology: adequatus, Lat.

    Contingent death seems to be the whole adequate object of popular courage; but a necessary and unavoidable coffin strikes paleness into the stoutest heart. Gideon Harvey, on Consumptions.

    The arguments were proper, adequate, and sufficient to compass their respective ends. Robert South, Sermons.

    All our simple ideas are adequate; because, being nothing but the effects of certain powers in things, fitted and ordained by God to produce such sensations in us, they cannot but be correspondent and adequate to those powers. John Locke.

    Those are adequate ideas, which perfectly represent their archetypes or objects. Inadequate are but a partial, or incomplete, representation of those archetypes to which they are referred. Isaac Watts, Logick.

ChatGPT

  1. adequate

    Adequate generally refers to something that is sufficient, acceptable and meets the basic requirements or needs. It may not be exceptional or outstanding but rather measures up to a satisfactory or passable standard.

  2. adequate

    Adequate refers to something that is acceptable or satisfactory in quantity, quality, or degree. It is sufficient for a specific requirement or purpose.

  3. adequate

    Adequate refers to something that is sufficient or acceptable in quality or quantity. It implies a state of being able to adequately meet a specific need, requirement, or purpose.

Webster Dictionary

  1. Adequateadjective

    equal to some requirement; proportionate, or correspondent; fully sufficient; as, powers adequate to a great work; an adequate definition

  2. Adequateadjective

    to equalize; to make adequate

  3. Adequateadjective

    to equal

  4. Etymology: [See Adequate, a.]

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary

  1. Adequate

    ad′e-kwāt, adj. equal to: proportionate: sufficient.—adv. Ad′equately.—ns. Ad′equateness, Ad′equacy, state of being adequate: sufficiency. [L. adæquatus, made equal—ad, to, and æquus, equal.]

Editors Contribution

  1. adequate

    Sufficient and appropriate for a specific purpose.

    There was an adequate amount of food at the table for all the visitors.


    Submitted by MaryC on March 16, 2020  

British National Corpus

  1. Spoken Corpus Frequency

    Rank popularity for the word 'adequate' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #2835

  2. Written Corpus Frequency

    Rank popularity for the word 'adequate' in Written Corpus Frequency: #3886

  3. Adjectives Frequency

    Rank popularity for the word 'adequate' in Adjectives Frequency: #381

Usage in printed sourcesFrom: 

How to pronounce adequate?

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Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of adequate in Chaldean Numerology is: 9

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of adequate in Pythagorean Numerology is: 2

Examples of adequate in a Sentence

  1. State John Kerry:

    You can't bomb knowledge into oblivion unless you kill everybody. You can't bomb it away, the question is, can you provide an adequate level ... of intrusive inspections, structured tough requirements, limitations, all the insights necessary to be able to know to a certainty that a program is peaceful.

  2. Carrie Severino:

    They are two good indicators, telling examples and adequate evidence.

  3. Kathy Hoffman:

    To achieve stability to our school communities, it is necessary to provide them with adequate time to inform and ready their staff, students and families.

  4. Nguyen Quoc Hung:

    VAMC really wants to call for foreign capital ... but it needs adequate mechanisms and legal framework.

  5. Italian Prosecutor Giovanni Salvi:

    Merchant ships don't have adequate preparation for rescues at sea, and that can result in a recue that isn't sufficient, the fact is, rescues at sea are difficult and require professionalism.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

adequate#1#4555#10000

Translations for adequate

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"adequate." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 24 Oct. 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/adequate>.

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    a substance used to produce fermentation in dough or a liquid
    A encumbrance
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