insufficient

adjective

in·​suf·​fi·​cient ˌin(t)-sə-ˈfi-shənt How to pronounce insufficient (audio)
: not sufficient : inadequate
insufficient funds
especially : lacking adequate power, capacity, or competence
insufficient bandwidth
insufficiently adverb

Examples of insufficient in a Sentence

The case was thrown out because of insufficient evidence. there's been an insufficient number of volunteers for the job, so I'll have to select someone
Recent Examples on the Web And volumes are insufficient compared to the scale of suffering. Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN, 15 Mar. 2024 Most of the rest are cases in which evidence is insufficient to secure a conviction or is inadmissible in court. Emily Davies, Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2024 These efforts are woefully insufficient and amount to a public relations stunt as our government continues to provide bombs and arms to Israel. Laila El-Haddad, The Mercury News, 13 Mar. 2024 The Association of Independent Music Publishers said in a statement on Friday that TikTok’s payments have long been insufficient and advocates that the platform adopt a per-stream payment policy like the one used by streaming platforms. Jem Aswad, Variety, 11 Mar. 2024 The suit also describes defects in fire safety, an insufficient electric switchboard, unventilated interior bathrooms and excessive noise in many areas, among other issues. Ethan M Steinberg, Fortune, 9 Mar. 2024 Republicans mostly criticized that bill as insufficient. Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 8 Mar. 2024 For some seniors, retirement can be an anxiety-inducing experience due to insufficient savings and the rising costs associated with housing and healthcare. Dobrina Zhekova, Travel + Leisure, 7 Mar. 2024 The issue involved an insufficient number of power cords for the voting machines at the beginning of the day, but the problem was quickly resolved and now there are no lines for either Republican or Democratic voters. Cody Copeland, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'insufficient.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin insufficient-, insufficiens, from Latin in- + sufficient-, sufficiens sufficient

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of insufficient was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near insufficient

Cite this Entry

“Insufficient.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/insufficient. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

insufficient

adjective
in·​suf·​fi·​cient ˌin(t)-sə-ˈfish-ənt How to pronounce insufficient (audio)
: not sufficient : inadequate
insufficiently adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on insufficient

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