suffice
Definition from Wiktionary, the free dictionary
Contents
English[edit]
Etymology[edit]
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[edit]
Verb[edit]
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.
- Milton
- To recount almighty works, / What words or tongue of seraph can suffice?
- (transitive) To satisfy; to content; to be equal to the wants or demands of.
- A joint of lamb sufficed even his enormous appetite.
- 1838, The Church of England quarterly review (page 203)
- Lord Brougham's salary would have sufficed more than ninety Prussian judges.
- To furnish; to supply adequately.
Related terms[edit]
Usage notes[edit]
- 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[edit]
be enough, sufficient, adequate
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satisfy
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furnish
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- 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[edit]
- 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
Latin[edit]
Verb[edit]
suffice
- second-person singular present active imperative of sufficiō
