Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1500-1600
Language: Latin
Origin: , past participle of adaequare 'to make equal', from ad- 'to' + aequare 'to equal'

adequate

 adjective
     
ad‧e‧quate S3 W3
1 enough in quantity or of a good enough quality for a particular purpose [= sufficient; ≠ inadequate]:
Farmers have been slow to make adequate provision for their retirement.
Some creams we tested failed to give adequate protection against UV light.
The standard of his work is barely adequate.
The company has yet to provide an adequate explanation for its actions.
adequate for
Are the parking facilities adequate for 50 cars?
adequate to do something
The lunchtime menu is more than adequate to satisfy the biggest appetite.
2 fairly good but not excellent:
Her performance was adequate but lacked originality.
—adequately adverb:
She wasn't adequately insured.
—adequacy noun [uncountable]
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

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