Word
suffice
Phoneticssuf·fice, stress on the second syllable
US/səˈfaɪs/
UK/səfˈaɪs/
Definitions
01to be enough
C1 · Advanced Formal
v. to be enough or to be good enough for what you need.
v. to be adequate or sufficient for a purpose; to meet the requirements of a situation.
“You do not need to write a long report; a short email will suffice.”
“While a brief summary might suffice for a general audience, the board of directors will require a comprehensive financial breakdown.”
Antonyms
02to satisfy someone
C2 · Proficiency Literary · Formal
v. to be enough to make someone happy or satisfied.
v. to satisfy or content a person; to be equal to their specific demands or wants.
“No amount of money could suffice him after he lost his home.”
“The modest inheritance did not suffice the ambitious heir, who had expected a much larger portion of the estate.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
Usage
The verb is primarily intransitive and often appears in the phrase 'suffice it to say'.
Pitfall
This money suffices for me.
This money suffices.
While 'suffice for' is grammatically possible, the verb is most naturally used alone or with a modal like 'will' to indicate adequacy.
Real-World Examples
“For those who missed out on eclipse glasses, homemade viewers made from cereal boxes sufficed, while others used colanders to create pinhole projectors.” “There is no European football to complicate the schedule and a return to the Champions League by finishing in the top four or five would suffice for now.” 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.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
ADVERB
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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