suffice
English
Etymology
From Middle English suffisen, from Middle French souffire, from Latin sufficiō (“supply, be adequate”), from sub (“under”) + faciō (“do, make”). Cognate with French suffire.
Pronunciation
Verb
suffice (third-person singular simple present suffices, present participle sufficing, simple past and past participle sufficed)
- (intransitive) To be enough or sufficient; to meet the need (of anything); to be equal to the end proposed; to be adequate.
- Two capsules of fish oil a day suffices.
- (transitive) To satisfy; to content; to be equal to the wants or demands of.
- A joint of lamb sufficed even his enormous appetite.
- To furnish; to supply adequately.
Related terms
Usage notes
- Commonly used in the phrase suffice it to say.
- Mostly used in modal verb constructions, such as: Half a loaf per day will suffice. This is much more common than the direct form Half a loaf per day suffices.
Translations
be enough, sufficient, adequate
|
|
satisfy
|
furnish
|
- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.
Translations to be checked
External links
- suffice in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
- suffice in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911
- suffice at OneLook Dictionary Search