ENGLISH
REFERENCE

suffice

v.
C1 Advanced US //səˈfaɪs// UK //səfˈaɪs// suf·fice Archaic

v. to be enough for a specific purpose. You use this when you want to say that something is sufficient and you do not need more.

v. to be adequate or sufficient for a purpose. Intransitive in its primary modern usage, though historically used transitively to mean 'to satisfy'.


SIMPLE

A small snack will suffice until dinner.

CONTEXTUAL

While a brief apology might suffice for a small mistake, this error requires a formal written explanation.

COMPLEX

In many academic contexts, a simple citation will suffice to acknowledge a source, but more controversial claims often require extensive supporting evidence.

Synonyms
Origin

From Middle English suffisen, from Middle French souffire, from Latin sufficiō (“supply, be adequate”), from sub (“under”) + faciō (“do, make”). Cognate with French suffire.

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.

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