Origin: Latin suffix -ory
Satisfactory has 3 different meanings across 1 category:
meeting requirements
"the step makes a satisfactory seat"
"I would kill for a decent cup of coffee"
"a decent wage"
Done to satisfaction; adequate or sufficient.
"The manager marked the employee's report as satisfactory because it contained all the necessary data and met the deadline."
In plain English: Satisfactory means good enough to meet what is needed or expected without being perfect.
"The test results were satisfactory, so we can proceed with the next steps."
Usage: Use satisfactory when something meets minimum requirements but lacks excellence, distinguishing it from superior synonyms like excellent. This term is common in formal evaluations where results are acceptable yet not outstanding.
Satisfactory entered English from the Middle French word satisfactoire, which ultimately traces back to the Latin verb meaning "to make satisfaction." The term originally described something that had been done in full payment or recompense before evolving to mean merely adequate or acceptable.