barely sufficient

USAGE SUMMARY

'barely sufficient' is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when you want to express that something is not quite enough. For example: "The funds we have are barely sufficient to cover the cost of the project."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Encyclopedias

Formal & Business

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

47 human-written examples

A lifetime is barely sufficient".

The Guardian - Sport

The place receives barely sufficient amounts of annual precipitation for non-mechanized grain agriculture.

University of California, Berkeley

260 seats is barely sufficient for Labour or the Tories to form a credible minority government.

The Guardian - Opinion

So they did, complaining that their pay was barely sufficient to stave off starvation.

The New York Times

In 1945 available rocket propulsion seemed barely sufficient to give the missile a satisfactory tactical range.

Encyclopedia Britannica

However, current software configuration management tools use a file-based data model that is barely sufficient to manipulate source code.

Science of Computer Programming

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

13 human-written examples

Once the onions have gone transparent, add the Brussels sprouts, soup cube, and water just sufficient to barely cover the spouts in a saucepan.

WikiHow

Although suing Kidde for violating the confidentiality agreement was an option, X-IT barely had sufficient cash to fill orders, not to mention pay attorney fees.

Harvard Business Review

It took the Obama campaign months to realize that a 2008 version of the McGovern coalition will barely be sufficient to win the nomination, let alone the general election.

The New Yorker

At one point during this gig – the opening night of a UK tour in venues he could easily have sold out four times over – a dozen spotlights suddenly snap to focus on the sharp-suited 22-year-old and his disarming smile, and it barely seems sufficient.

The Guardian - Music

Without proper foods and nourishment, a mother may barely have sufficient nutrients to fulfill her own dietary needs, let alone that of the growing child she holds in-utero.

HuffPost

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Enhance clarity by specifying what is "barely sufficient" for. For example, instead of saying "The budget was barely sufficient", specify "The budget was barely sufficient to cover the initial costs".

Common error

Avoid using "barely sufficient" when something is clearly and significantly inadequate. This phrase implies a narrow margin of adequacy, not a complete lack of it. For example, stating "The resources were barely sufficient to complete the project" when the project was abandoned due to lack of funding would be misleading.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "barely sufficient" functions as an adjectival phrase modifying a noun. It indicates that something meets a requirement or standard, but only by the smallest margin. Ludwig confirms this structure.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

49%

Science

29%

Wiki

8%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

6%

Formal & Business

6%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "barely sufficient" is used to describe situations where something is only just adequate. As confirmed by Ludwig, it is grammatically correct and suitable for both formal and informal contexts. The frequency of its occurrence in news, scientific literature, and encyclopedias shows it is a widely understood phrase. When you use "barely sufficient", you’re indicating that there's little to no margin for error, and things could easily become inadequate. When writing with the phrase, specify for what purpose something is "barely sufficient" to make the statement more clear and effective.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

scarcely adequate

Replaces "barely" with "scarcely", maintaining the sense of just meeting the minimum requirement.

hardly adequate

Substitutes "barely" with "hardly", emphasizing the deficiency.

marginally adequate

Replaces "barely" with "marginally", highlighting the slightness of the adequacy.

just enough

Offers a simpler, more direct way of saying something is only adequate.

minimally acceptable

Focuses on the idea of something meeting the lowest standard of acceptance.

only just sufficient

Adds emphasis to the narrow margin of sufficiency.

almost insufficient

Highlights the proximity to not being enough.

borderline adequate

Suggests the adequacy is questionable and close to being inadequate.

virtually inadequate

Emphasizes the sense of inadequacy and shifts focus of the phrase.

technically sufficient

Suggests the sufficiency is more in principle than in practice.

FAQs

How can I use "barely sufficient" in a sentence?

Use "barely sufficient" to describe something that is just enough to meet a requirement, but with very little to spare. For example: "The supplies were "barely sufficient" to last through the winter".

What's the difference between "barely sufficient" and "insufficient"?

"Barely sufficient" implies something is just meeting the minimum requirement, while "insufficient" means it does not meet the requirement at all. "Barely sufficient" suggests a situation that is close to being inadequate, whereas insufficient indicates it is definitely lacking.

What can I say instead of "barely sufficient"?

You can use alternatives like "scarcely adequate", "hardly enough", or "marginally adequate" depending on the context.

Is "barely sufficient" formal or informal?

"Barely sufficient" is suitable for both formal and informal contexts. Its usage depends more on the subject matter and audience than on the setting.