adequately
gb/ˈædəkwɪtli/ us/ˈædəkwɪtli/
B2
English
Senses
0 senses
adverb
B2
quantity
1
to a sufficient degree
enough; as much as is needed
Usage pattern:
adequately + [adjective/participle] (e.g., adequately prepared); adequately + [verb] (e.g., adequately explain [something])
Common mistake:
Avoid doubling the idea of ‘enough’ (e.g., ‘adequately enough’). Use the adverb ‘adequately’ (not the adjective ‘adequate’) before adjectives or past participles.
Synonyms
sufficiently (More direct focus on ‘enough’ to meet a requirement.)
|
enough (More informal and less precise.)
|
to a reasonable extent (Emphasizes a practical, not perfect, level.)
Antonyms
insufficiently (Not to a sufficient degree.)
|
inadequately (Not enough or not good enough for the purpose.)
Collocations
adequately prepared
|adequately staffed
|adequately funded
|adequately protected
|adequately trained
|adequately equipped
|adequately compensated
|adequately supported
|adequately ventilated
|adequately insured
Themes
daily_life
|work
|education
Examples
- Make sure the room is adequately ventilated before you start painting.
- The instructions are adequately detailed for someone with basic experience.
- The project cannot move forward unless it is adequately funded.
Learner examples
- Is the child adequately dressed for the cold?
- Please explain it adequately.
adverb
B2
property
2
in a satisfactory way
well enough; in an acceptable way
Usage pattern:
adequately + [verb] (e.g., adequately handle [something])
Common mistake:
‘Adequately’ often implies ‘acceptable but not great’; if you mean ‘very well’, choose ‘well’ or ‘excellent(ly)’.
Synonyms
acceptably (Stresses meeting a minimum acceptable standard.)
|
properly (Stresses correctness rather than minimum sufficiency.)
|
competently (Stresses ability and skill, sometimes more positive than ‘adequately’.)
Antonyms
poorly (In a low-quality or unsatisfactory way.)
|
unsatisfactorily (Not meeting an acceptable standard.)
Collocations
perform adequately
|deal with something adequately
|handle something adequately
|respond adequately
|function adequately
|cope adequately
|meet requirements adequately
|explain something adequately
|address concerns adequately
|represent something adequately
Themes
work
|communication
Examples
- He answered the questions adequately but didn’t provide any new insights.
- The small heater works adequately for a single room.
- The company has not adequately addressed customers’ complaints.
Learner examples
- I did adequately on the test.
- The team worked adequately today.
Grammar
Dictionary form
adequately
IPA
GB/ˈædəkwɪtli/
US/ˈædəkwɪtli/
Syllables & stress
ad - equately (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (ad)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: adequately
- Plural: adequatelies
Word family
Expressions
adequately address
1/ˈædəkwɪtli ˈædɹˌɛs/
fixed phrase
formal
deal with an issue enough
deal with something enough
Examples
- The report does not adequately address the risks.
- We need to adequately address customer complaints.
- Her speech adequately addressed the main questions from the audience.
adequately compensated
1/ˈædəkwɪtli kˈɑmpənsˌeɪtɪd/
fixed phrase
formal
paid enough for work
paid enough
Examples
- Contractors should be adequately compensated for overtime.
- She felt she wasn’t adequately compensated for the extra responsibilities.
- Victims were not adequately compensated for the damage.
adequately funded
1/ˈædəkwɪtli fˈʌndɪd/
fixed phrase
business
with enough money
having enough money
Examples
- Public schools must be adequately funded to reduce class sizes.
- The research program is not adequately funded this year.
- They argued that the plan could work if it was adequately funded.
adequately prepared
1/ˈædəkwɪtli pɹipˈɛɹd/
fixed phrase
ready enough for something
ready enough
Examples
- I didn’t feel adequately prepared for the interview.
- New staff must be adequately prepared before working alone.
- The city was not adequately prepared for the storm.
adequately reflect
1/ˈædəkwɪtli ɹɪflˈɛkt/
fixed phrase
formal
show something accurately enough
show something well enough
Examples
- The survey results do not adequately reflect public opinion.
- He felt the review didn’t adequately reflect his performance.
- The budget should adequately reflect the organization’s priorities.
adequately staffed
1/ˈædəkwɪtli stˈæft/
fixed phrase
business
with enough staff
having enough workers
Examples
- The clinic isn’t adequately staffed on weekends.
- We need to be adequately staffed to meet demand.
- The hotline was not adequately staffed during the outage.