SUFFICIENT Synonyms: 86 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the adjective 'sufficient' contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of sufficient are adequate , competent , and enough . While all these words mean "being what is necessary or desirable," sufficient suggests a close meeting of a need. // sufficient savings

Q: When might 'adequate' be a better fit than 'sufficient'?

The synonyms adequate and sufficient are sometimes interchangeable, but adequate may imply barely meeting a requirement. // the service was adequate

Q: Where would 'competent' be a reasonable alternative to 'sufficient'?

Although the words competent and sufficient have much in common, competent suggests measuring up to all requirements without question or being adequately adapted to an end. // had no competent notion of what was going on

Q: How are the words 'enough' and 'sufficient' related?

Enough is less exact in suggestion than sufficient . // do you have enough food?

sufficient

adjective

Definition of sufficient next

as in adequate

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective sufficient contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of sufficient are adequate, competent, and enough. While all these words mean "being what is necessary or desirable," sufficient suggests a close meeting of a need.

sufficient savings

When might adequate be a better fit than sufficient?

The synonyms adequate and sufficient are sometimes interchangeable, but adequate may imply barely meeting a requirement.

the service was adequate

Where would competent be a reasonable alternative to sufficient?

Although the words competent and sufficient have much in common, competent suggests measuring up to all requirements without question or being adequately adapted to an end.

had no competent notion of what was going on

How are the words enough and sufficient related?

Enough is less exact in suggestion than sufficient.

do you have enough food?

Examples Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of sufficient In fact, vitamin D is the only vitamin our bodies can synthesize in sufficient quantities just from exposure to energy from our planet’s vital star. —

Mélanie Defouilloy, Vogue, 11 Dec. 2024 While specific health benefits will vary between fruit types, sufficient fruit intake has been linked to multiple health benefits. —

Chelsea Rae Bourgeois, Rdn, Health, 11 Dec. 2024 Customer Demand While Americans love both beer and fast food, McDonald's may not see sufficient demand to justify the costs of offering alcohol, particularly when other chains like Taco Bell Cantina already cater to that niche. —

Joseph Epstein, Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2024 Tapping Others’ Wisdom Leaders cannot have sufficient expertise to address the myriad issues that arise in a complex organization. —

Gregory Crawford, Forbes, 3 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for sufficient

Recent Examples of Synonyms for sufficient

Adjective

Without the presence of adequate airflow, the dust has no where to go and settles on various surfaces.

Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 17 Dec. 2024
Human Oversight The principle of human oversight mandates adequate human supervision throughout an AI system's lifecycle.

Mithun A. Sridharan, Forbes, 17 Dec. 2024