may well suffice

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "may well suffice" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to suggest that something is likely to be adequate or sufficient in a given context. Example: "In this case, a brief summary may well suffice to convey the main points of the discussion."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

6 human-written examples

The offer sounds bizarre, but it may well suffice.

The Economist

But with simpler and more generic practices, such as the use of live fences (shrubs or trees planted and pruned to serve as barriers or enclosures), endogenous innovation may well suffice.

Pastoralism

However, the shared interest of all pedestrians may well suffice to ground that duty, in which case pedestrians will have a collective right that the authorities should construct and maintain the walkways.

SEP

Thus, the numerical errors can be expected to be dominated by measurement noise and model errors and single-precision arithmetic may well suffice for this kind of (severely ill-posed) inverse problems.

Biomedical Optics Express

Translating the DRI into disease burden requires a careful unbiased assessment of clinical outcomes of resistant infections, but in the absence of these data, morbidity and mortality rates of untreated infections may well suffice.

BMJ Open

This may explain why overexpression of Arg IRS-1 had no significant effect on ACE2 expression in cardiomyocytes in normoxia, where a small amount of endogenous wild type IRS-1 in the cells may well suffice for basal level of insulin/IRS-1/PI3K signaling and ACE2 expression despite the competition of Arg IRS-1.

Cardiovascular Diabetology

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

54 human-written examples

It may very well suffice if people with lower cognitive ability mimic what their higher-ability peers do differently with respect to diabetes-related behaviors.

Health Psychology

These events alone, however reasonable some of them may be, might well suffice to enrage those who feel that they are at the mercy of what is all too often a self-serving, capricious and deadly American foreign policy.

The New York Times

Oversight by the legislature may well not suffice, as it is often preoccupied with other concerns and tends to shy away from limiting programs supported by big corporations the likes of Microsoft.

Huffington Post

It may also apply when we "store and transport" data, as in compression, distributed sensing and data fusion: a succinct summary of the data might well suffice and save significantly on communication between multiple sites.

University of California, Berkeley

Their logic is roughly: "Why pump money into what may well be a ghost town just a few years later?" Suffice to say there's a plethora of reasons why places like Fort McMurray may, essentially, be doomed.

Vice

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "may well suffice" when you want to indicate that something has a good chance of being enough or adequate for a particular purpose, but you're not making an absolute guarantee.

Common error

Avoid using "may well suffice" when you need to express absolute certainty. The phrase implies a degree of possibility rather than a definite outcome.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "may well suffice" functions as a modal verb phrase, expressing a prediction or possibility with a reasonable degree of confidence that something will be adequate or sufficient. As noted by Ludwig AI, the phrase is grammatically correct and usable in written English. It suggests that a particular action or resource is likely to meet the required needs or standards, but without absolute certainty.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

40%

News & Media

30%

Academia

30%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "may well suffice" is a modal verb phrase used to express the likelihood that something will be adequate or sufficient. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness and usability. While not extremely common, the phrase is generally used in neutral to formal contexts, particularly in science, news, and academic writing. Remember that it conveys a degree of possibility rather than absolute certainty. Related phrases include "might be adequate" and "could be sufficient". Be mindful of overstating certainty when using this phrase.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

might be adequate

Replaces "well suffice" with a synonym for adequacy.

could be sufficient

Uses "could" instead of "may" and "sufficient" instead of "suffice".

could prove adequate

Emphasizes the potential for adequacy over time.

may turn out to be enough

Focuses on the eventual outcome of being sufficient.

might just do the trick

More idiomatic and informal, suggesting something will be effective.

might serve the purpose

Highlights the functionality and suitability for a specific goal.

could adequately meet the needs

Highlights the functionality and suitability for a specific goal.

might be all that's needed

Focuses on minimalism and the exclusion of extra requirements.

could be the solution

Suggests that something is a potential remedy or answer to a problem.

might just be what is required

Emphasizes that something is exactly what's needed in a certain situation.

FAQs

How can I use "may well suffice" in a sentence?

Use "may well suffice" to suggest something is likely to be adequate. For example: "A brief summary "may well suffice" to convey the main points."

What are some alternatives to "may well suffice"?

Consider alternatives like "might be adequate", "could be sufficient", or "might just do the trick" depending on the level of formality.

Is "may suffice" the same as "may well suffice"?

"May well suffice" implies a stronger likelihood or confidence in the adequacy compared to simply "may suffice". The addition of "well" enhances the sense of probability.

When is it appropriate to use "may well suffice" in writing?

It's appropriate when you want to express a reasonable expectation that something will be sufficient but without asserting absolute certainty. It can be used in various contexts, ranging from scientific to everyday scenarios.