as in lacking
not coming up to an expected measure or meeting a particular need
an inadequate amount of food on hand for so many unexpected guests
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Recent Examples of inadequate
The decision comes weeks after the Trump administration suspended some $584 million in federal grants for the school, roughly a third of which are from the National Science Foundation, due to claims of inadequate handling of antisemitism on campus.
—
Kimmy Yam, NBC news, 13 Aug. 2025
In dozens of interviews, young adults described the unsettling and devastating consequences of having inadequate insurance, or no insurance at all.
—Elisabeth Rosenthal, Miami Herald, 12 Aug. 2025
While recovering the full $150 billion in value is unlikely, per BCG, as all raw material waste cannot be realistically captured due to persistent barriers like inadequate recycling infrastructure systems and inefficient sorting processes.
—Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 12 Aug. 2025
Macron and other Western leaders called for comprehensive humanitarian access beyond airdrops, which the French leader described as inadequate to alleviate famine risk.
—Peter Aitken, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inadequate
Kimmy Yam, NBC news, 13 Aug. 2025
In dozens of interviews, young adults described the unsettling and devastating consequences of having inadequate insurance, or no insurance at all.
—Elisabeth Rosenthal, Miami Herald, 12 Aug. 2025
While recovering the full $150 billion in value is unlikely, per BCG, as all raw material waste cannot be realistically captured due to persistent barriers like inadequate recycling infrastructure systems and inefficient sorting processes.
—Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 12 Aug. 2025
Macron and other Western leaders called for comprehensive humanitarian access beyond airdrops, which the French leader described as inadequate to alleviate famine risk.
—Peter Aitken, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inadequate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inadequate
Adjective
-
The Associated Press in 2021 investigated how the technology landed a Chicago grandfather in jail after it was used as evidence to charge him with murder, with a judge later dismissing the case due to insufficient evidence.—
R. Christian Smith,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Aug. 2025
-
Workers claim the organization has insufficient training, abrupt terminations, and inconsistent wages and raises.—
Maya Bell,
jsonline.com,
7 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Aid trucks stopped coming and ingredients that had once been scarce became almost impossible to find.—
Hamada Shaqoura,
Time,
7 Aug. 2025
-
Those casks are scarce too, but by contrast to the 1993/1994 Ardbeg parcel, they could almost be called common.—
Mark Littler,
Forbes.com,
5 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
The brand recommends starting on the lowest intensity level and adjusting as needed.—
Conçetta Ciarlo,
Vogue,
8 Aug. 2025
-
Already, two-thirds of people live in a country with birth rates too low to sustain their populations over time.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Inadequate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inadequate. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.
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