How to Use adequate in a Sentence

adequate

adjective
  • The food was more than adequate for the six of us.
  • The machine does an adequate job.
  • The school lunch should be adequate to meet the nutritional needs of growing children.
  • The quality of his work was only adequate.
  • Your grades are adequate but I think you can do better.
  • The quality of his work was perfectly adequate.
  • The garden hasn't been getting adequate water.
  • The tent should provide adequate protection from the elements.
  • About an eighth of a cup should be adequate.
    — Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 2 May 2026
  • Your third tip is to get adequate sleep.
    — Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 6 Jan. 2026
  • Do the same if your apartment does not have adequate heat.
    — Lillian Bonsignore, New York Daily News, 18 Feb. 2026
  • Some mothers who would like to work lack adequate child care to do so.
    — Dylan Matthews, Vox, 27 Apr. 2018
  • Lake says that gives her all the more reason to take adequate time away.
    — Claire Zillman, Fortune, 19 June 2018
  • Leg and headroom are more than adequate even for those over six feet tall.
    — Dan Seifert, The Verge, 26 Apr. 2023
  • But lawyers handling the city's case say that's not adequate.
    — Claire Thornton, USA TODAY, 17 Apr. 2024
  • Never use pots that don’t have adequate drainage holes.
    — Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 4 May 2026
  • These birds can find adequate supplies of food all year and do not need to head south.
    — Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 17 Sep. 2025
  • If this is not present in an adequate amount, then leave and go to line 20.
    — Zachary MacK, The Verge, 2 July 2019
  • That hasn't been adequate, Evans said.
    — Kevin Grasha, Cincinnati Enquirer, 21 Oct. 2025
  • What would be an adequate amount to motivate you to find him?
    — Cyrus Farivar, Ars Technica, 21 Nov. 2018
  • Amending the soil once a year should be adequate for your garden.
    — Tim Johnson, chicagotribune.com, 15 Nov. 2020
  • Check roast after two hours to make sure there is still adequate liquid in the pan.
    — The View, ABC News, 5 Jan. 2024
  • That's plenty adequate for a decent walk or even a slow jog—your call.
    — Men's Health, 16 Feb. 2023
  • But these types of networks aren't yet adequate to meet the demand.
    — Kimberly Leonard, Washington Examiner, 24 Jan. 2020
  • Missing out on adequate sleep could be taking years off your life.
    — Angelica Stabile, FOXNews.com, 11 Jan. 2026
  • Lack of adequate protein is one part of the problem.
    — Bryant Stamford, Louisville Courier Journal, 9 Oct. 2025
  • If the snowfall doesn't last long, installing a set of skid chains is adequate.
    — Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 19 Jan. 2022
  • Then plant the bulb in a pot with adequate drainage, leaving about a third of the bulb exposed.
    — Grace Haynes, Southern Living, 27 Oct. 2023
  • The income from that was adequate.
    — Virginia Chamlee, PEOPLE, 31 Jan. 2026
  • Make sure new plant selections have adequate room to grow.
    — Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 25 Apr. 2026

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

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