enough of an answer

USAGE SUMMARY

"enough of an answer" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when you want to indicate that a response you have given is sufficient information or a conclusion that has been reached. For example: Q: How long have you been studying English? A: Five years. That's enough of an answer.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

6 human-written examples

Emily's silence is enough of an answer.

The New York Times - Magazine

In the Alistair Darling economic plan, largely endorsed by Alan Johnson, Labour has enough of an answer to the cuts question.

The Guardian - Opinion

And when that did not seem like enough of an answer, Collins said to Brown and his 14 classmates: "I play in the N.F.L. for the Giants.

The New York Times - Sports

But also like Mrs. Carnahan, Mr. Talent will say only that he is "looking" at the possibilities of running -- not a real answer but, as in Mrs. Carnahan's case, enough of an answer to keep political tongues wagging, especially since other possible Republican candidates approached by party leaders have refused to jump in.

The New York Times

For the city's elected officials -- and the city's human rights agency law enforcers, who answered to the Mayor -- that was good enough of an answer.

Huffington Post

When I would ask questions of the Preacher, he seemed to try to give me just enough of an answer so that I would go away.

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

53 human-written examples

The weight of history is too great to make the slender quest for closure sought by a young diver enough of an answering narrative.

The New York Times - Books

We considered this period long enough to observe a potential impact of an answer and short enough to limit recall bias.

BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making

"How could anybody elect a prat who gets stuck in a zipwire?" Mr. Johnson has almost four more years left as mayor of London – time enough to find an answer to his own question.

The New York Times

There is also extensive evidence at the K 12 level that girls are less confident than boys in their knowledge in science fields even after controlling for their actual performance (Meece et al., 2006; Micari et al., 2007; Sikora and Pokropek, 2012) and, thus, may not feel confident enough to provide an answer in front of a large group.

CBE Life Sciences Education

For example "How old was Lincoln when he died?", "At what age did Lincoln die?" and other variants were not understood, though in many cases of misunderstanding, Wolfram|Alpha displays enough retrieved information to allow inference of an answer.

SEP

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "enough of an answer" to politely signal that you've provided sufficient information and don't intend to elaborate further.

Common error

Avoid using "enough of an answer" in highly formal or academic writing. Opt for more precise and detailed language to ensure clarity and thoroughness.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "enough of an answer" functions as a determiner phrase acting as a predicate adjective, modifying a noun (usually 'it' or a similar pronoun) to indicate the sufficiency of a provided response. Ludwig shows that the phrase is commonly used to convey that no further elaboration is needed.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

71%

Science

14%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "enough of an answer" is a phrase used to indicate that a response is satisfactory and requires no further elaboration. Ludwig AI confirms that its grammatical status is correct and that the phrase is used to signal closure or satisfaction with the information provided. While not overly formal, it’s versatile and found primarily in News & Media contexts. While alternatives like "sufficient response" or "adequate explanation" exist, "enough of an answer" remains a useful way to end a discussion politely while conveying that the question has been adequately addressed.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

sufficient response

Focuses on the adequacy of the response.

satisfactory reply

Highlights the contentment derived from the answer.

adequate explanation

Emphasizes the clarity and completeness of the explanation.

acceptable response

Indicates the answer meets a minimum standard.

ample clarification

Stresses the abundance of detail in the explanation.

sufficient clarification

Highlights how clear an explanation is.

that's all the explanation you're getting

Expresses that this is a sufficient answer, with no further information provided.

a response which suffices

Indicates that the answer is enough to meet a need or requirement.

a reply that is adequate

Emphasizes the suitability of the answer.

that's all the information I can give you

Implies the answer provided is comprehensive, and there won't be further details available.

FAQs

How can I use "enough of an answer" in a sentence?

You can use "enough of an answer" to indicate that a response is sufficient or adequate for the situation. For instance, "His brief explanation was "enough of an answer" for the simple question I asked."

What are some alternatives to "enough of an answer"?

Alternatives include "sufficient response", "satisfactory reply", or "adequate explanation" depending on the specific context.

When is it appropriate to use "enough of an answer"?

It's appropriate to use "enough of an answer" when you want to convey that the information provided is sufficient without needing further elaboration. However, avoid using it in formal academic writing.

What's the nuance between "enough of an answer" and "sufficient response"?

While both phrases indicate adequacy, "enough of an answer" has a slightly more casual tone. "Sufficient response" is often used in more formal settings to denote a complete and satisfactory reply.