Origin: Latin suffix -ate
Adequate has 5 different meanings across 1 category:
To equalize; to make adequate.
"The government passed a new law intended to adequately fund rural schools, ensuring every student has access to modern resources."
In plain English: To make something good enough to be accepted or used without needing more improvements.
"The manager decided that the current staffing levels were adequate to handle the holiday rush."
Usage: The word "adequate" is an adjective and should not be used as a verb to mean "to make sufficient." Instead, use verbs like "satisfy," "provide," or "make adequate" when you need to describe the action of supplying enough of something.
about average; acceptable
"more than adequate as a secretary"
Equal to or fulfilling some requirement.
"The room was small, but it had adequate space for all our luggage."
In plain English: Adequate means good enough to get the job done without being perfect.
"The lighting in the room was adequate for reading but not for dancing."
Usage: Use adequate to describe something that meets a specific minimum standard or requirement without being excessive. It implies sufficiency rather than excellence, suggesting the item is just enough for its intended purpose.
The word adequate comes from the Latin adaequātus, which originally meant "made equal to." It entered English through learned borrowing rather than evolving naturally within the language.