I. adequate transitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Latin adaequatus
1. obsolete : equal
2. obsolete : to make equal or sufficient : equalize
II. ad·e·quate ˈadə̇kwə̇t, -ēk-, usu -ə̇d.+V adjective
Etymology: Latin adaequatus, past participle of adaequare to make equal, from ad- + aequare to equal — more at equate
1. obsolete : equal in size or scope
2. : equal to, proportionate to, or fully sufficient for a specified or implied requirement ; often : narrowly or barely sufficient : no more than satisfactory — often used with to and sometimes with for or with
public issues are so large and so involved that … only a few … can hope to have any adequate comprehension of them — G.L.Dickinson
with only six men covering two million acres, adequate fire prevention is impossible — American Guide Series: Minnesota
a solution adequate to the problem
3. : legally sufficient : such as is lawfully and reasonably sufficient
adequate grounds for a lawsuit
4. logic : fully representative
an adequate definition
Synonyms: see sufficient