acceptable enough

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "acceptable enough" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to indicate that something meets a minimum standard or requirement, but may not be ideal. Example: "The report was acceptable enough to pass the review, but it could use some improvements."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

39 human-written examples

Anyway, the predicted values are acceptable enough to be a useful tool for designing industrial processes.

Applied Energy

The production design is just acceptable enough that it'll pass with at-home streaming.

The Guardian - Film

Without this, it is impossible to design formal laws acceptable enough to make the excluded feel included.

The Economist

Much of the time that seems acceptable enough, but some say that Hussain is going too far.

The New York Times

He took the universal straight-male appetite for pictures of semi-naked women and found a way to feed it that became acceptable enough to attract conventional advertisers.

The New Yorker

Again, I understand that most people say gargoyle for both, and it's acceptable enough in layman conversation that the incorrect version is sometimes seen as a secondary definition.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

21 human-written examples

If the proposal proves acceptable to enough senators, the Senate could vote on it shortly after the lame-duck session begins on Tuesday.

The New York Times

The question is whether he can pair such ideas with concessions to the right that would make the broader deal acceptable to enough senators.

The Washington Post

May has to find a middle way between what Brussels demands and what would be acceptable to enough MPs in the House of Commons.

The Guardian

In a memo from February 1999, JV China said that one of the three sets of pumps in the sea lion pen was broken and that its chlorine level was more than 10 times the acceptable limit, enough to cause blindness.

The New York Times

Today, a desire in Hollywood to infuse fantasy and science-fiction movies, television series and video games with a sense of believability is driving demand for constructed languages, complete with grammatical rules, a written alphabet (hieroglyphics are acceptable) and enough vocabulary for basic conversations.

The New York Times - Arts

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Consider pairing it with the adverb "just" (e.g. "just acceptable enough") to highlight that the margin of acceptance is narrow.

Common error

Do not use "acceptable enough" when the goal is to describe high quality or excellence. The phrase inherently suggests a 'bare minimum' status and can sound dismissive or underwhelming if your intention was to praise a piece of work.

Linguistic Context

In linguistic structures found in Ludwig, "acceptable enough" functions as an adjective phrase where 'enough' acts as a post-modifying adverb of degree. It typically appears in a predicative position following a linking verb (e.g. 'is' or 'seems').

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

65%

Science

15%

Wiki

10%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

5%

Formal & Business

3%

Academia

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In conclusion, "acceptable enough" is a robust and widely accepted phrase in the English language. According to Ludwig AI, it is particularly favored in high-quality journalism to describe a state of 'functional sufficiency'—where something meets the necessary criteria for progress or social integration despite potential flaws. While it is similar to "<a href="/s/good+enough" target="_blank" rel="alternative">good enough", the use of the word 'acceptable' lends it a more objective or evaluative tone. It is a safe and effective choice for both professional reporting and casual observation when describing a result that passes the test.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

good enough

More common and slightly less formal than the query

adequately acceptable

Increases formality while maintaining the same logical structure

reasonably acceptable

Adds a nuance of logical or fair judgment to the sufficiency

up to standard

Uses an idiomatic approach to signify meeting requirements

sufficiently good

Shifts the emphasis from acceptance to the quality of the item

satisfactory

A single-word formal equivalent often used in professional reviews

fairly adequate

Indicates a slightly lower level of confidence in the sufficiency

passable

Implies that something is just barely meeting the requirements

serviceable

Focuses on the functional utility of the item being discussed

tolerable

Suggests that something is accepted only because it can be endured

FAQs

How to use acceptable enough in a sentence?

You can use "acceptable enough" to describe a result that meets a standard, such as "The initial draft was <a href="/s/acceptable+enough" target="_blank" rel="alternative">acceptable enough to be shared with the team."

What can I say instead of acceptable enough?

Depending on the tone, you can use "<a href="/s/good+enough" target="_blank" rel="alternative">good enough" for informal settings or "<a href="/s/satisfactory" target="_blank" rel="alternative">satisfactory" for formal documentation.

Is it better to say good enough or acceptable enough?

It depends on the context; "<a href="/s/good+enough" target="_blank" rel="alternative">good enough" is more versatile, while "acceptable enough" is better for formal evaluations or when discussing social and political standards.

What is the difference between acceptable enough and sufficiently acceptable?

The phrase "<a href="/s/sufficiently+acceptable" target="_blank" rel="alternative">sufficiently acceptable" is more redundant and formal, whereas "acceptable enough" is the standard idiomatic choice found in high-quality journalism.