Adequate vs. sufficient vs. enough

What does adequate mean?

Adequate is an adjective which means to be acceptable in quality or quantity in a particular circumstance.

For example:

·      She provided an adequate explanation for why she was late to work. 

What does sufficient mean?

Sufficient is an adjective which means to be enough to meet a particular need. This is often used with an abstract concept, a mass noun or plural word.

For example:

·      We have sufficient resources to make it through the winter.

What does enough mean?

Enough can be a noun, pronoun or adverb meaning as much or many as required. As a pronoun, it can also mean to be unwilling to tolerate something unpleasant for any longer.

For example:

·      We have enough canned food to feed the whole city for a month.

·      I’ve had enough of you leeching off me.

What’s the difference between adequate, sufficient and enough?

Adequate refers to the acceptable quality or quantity of a thing in a particular circumstance, while sufficient means enough to meet a particular need. Enough, the most common for everyday purposes, means as much or many as required.

For example:

·      While we have sufficient resources and enough canned food, I don’t know if we have adequate staff to keep the research base open for the whole winter.