MEANING
To be enough for a particular need, purpose, or standard.
Use it for
Show that something proves adequate without being lavish.A limited resource or action that adequately meets a need.
Words that belong together
- suffice for a purpose
- will suffice
- suffice to say
On the page
A single lamp sufficed to guide them to the stairwell.
Nearby words
Opposite meanings
Word forms
- Base
- suffice
- Past tense
- sufficed
- Past participle
- sufficed
- Present participle
- sufficing
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- suffice
- Present continuous
- am/is/are sufficing
- Present perfect
- have/has sufficed
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been sufficing
- Past
- sufficed
- Past continuous
- was/were sufficing
- Past perfect
- had sufficed
- Past perfect continuous
- had been sufficing
- Future
- will suffice
- Future continuous
- will be sufficing
- Future perfect
- will have sufficed
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been sufficing
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
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Usage notes
Often appears in “suffice it to say,” a fixed discourse marker; ordinary uses describe adequacy, not abundance.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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