Which meaning best defines the word adequate?

• A. Sufficient to fit the requirements or needs
• B. Good enough, but not excessively good
• C. Satisfactory
• D. Acceptable

Answer: (A)

Adequate means enough to meet the needs or requirements. It signals sufficiency to get the job done without implying extra quality or features. That’s why the first meaning—sufficient to fit the requirements or needs—best captures the term. The other descriptors touch on quality or approval, but they don’t pin down meeting the actual requirements as directly; they describe what’s acceptable, passable, or merely satisfactory, which is a looser sense than adequacy.