# satisfactory

/ˌsætəsˈfæktɹi/ (US) · /sˌætɪsfˈæktəɹˌi/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/satisfactory
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. good enough

adjective · CEFR B2

good enough to meet a need or a rule, but not necessarily great.

For teachers: meeting requirements or expectations to an adequate degree. Often used in formal assessments to indicate a pass that is not high-level.

- The teacher said my essay was satisfactory, but I need to work on my spelling.
- The inspector found the safety measures to be satisfactory, though he suggested several minor improvements for the next quarter.

Usage: Often used in formal contexts like work reports or school grades.

Teaching tip: Help students understand that 'satisfactory' is a 'lukewarm' word; it means something is okay, but it lacks the enthusiasm of 'excellent' or 'great'.

### 2. giving pleasure

adjective · CEFR B2

giving you a feeling of being pleased or happy with a result.

For teachers: yielding satisfaction or contentment; providing a sense of completion or resolution.

- It was a satisfactory end to a very long and difficult day.
- Finding the missing documents provided a satisfactory conclusion to an investigation that had lasted nearly six months.

Teaching tip: In this sense, 'satisfying' is much more common in modern spoken English than 'satisfactory'.

### 3. religious atonement

adjective · CEFR C2 · Formal · Technical

related to making up for a sin or a wrong act in a religious way.

For teachers: functioning as atonement or expiation for sin within a theological framework.

- The priest spoke about the satisfactory nature of the sacrifice.
- The treatise explores the concept of satisfactory penance as a means of reconciling the individual with the community.

Usage: Used almost exclusively in academic or theological discussions.

Teaching tip: This sense is extremely rare and should only be taught to students reading historical or religious texts.

## Examples

- The student's work was satisfactory and met all the requirements.
- The technician confirmed that the repairs were satisfactory and the machine was safe to use again.
- While the initial results were satisfactory for a preliminary study, the board requested more rigorous testing before approving the final product for mass distribution.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.