reasonably satisfactory

USAGE SUMMARY

'reasonably satisfactory' is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to describe something that is better than unsatisfactory, but not as good as satisfactory or excellent. For example, "Her grades were only reasonably satisfactory this semester."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

23 human-written examples

Sergeant Anderson, a chatty onetime athlete, is doing his best to put together a reasonably satisfactory life without his legs or his left hand, and with a damaged right hand He told Mr. Gandolfini, "If I didn't have my hand, if I lost both my hands, I'd really think, you know, it wouldn't be worth it to be around".

The New York Times

The result – £1.66m for Lincoln, £1.05m for Zero – should be reasonably satisfactory to respective distributors Fox and Universal.

The Guardian - Film

These predictions are in reasonably satisfactory agreement with the somewhat discordant experimental rate measurements.

Proceedings of the Combustion Institute

Comparisons of the experimental results with the predictions of the model are reasonably satisfactory.

European Journal of Mechanics - B-Fluids

Finally, in 1860 Étienne Lenoir of France marketed an engine that operated on illuminating gas and provided reasonably satisfactory service.

Encyclopedia Britannica

His place may be taken by one of his partners in a group practice, a provision that is reasonably satisfactory.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

37 human-written examples

We aimed at cutoffs with satisfactory specificity (≥70%) for MS diagnosis [ 9], but with a reasonably acceptable sensitivity (>60%) as well.

Cardiovascular Diabetology

The goods you buy must be reasonably durable and of satisfactory quality and fit for their purpose.

The Guardian - Money

However, the targeting has been satisfactory with reasonably good spread of items along the well-being continuum of the sample and people with disability had significantly poorer well-being scores compared to the controls (mean difference = 0.97, p < 0.001).

BMC Public Health

Allometric scaling to predict distribution volume from studies in three animal species rat, dog, and monkey has been found to be reasonably satisfactory.

Principles of Clinical Pharmacology

An explorative comparison of children's symptom report and bodily reactions reveals a reasonably consistent pattern and indicates satisfactory concurrent validity of most of the indices for the before situation.

BMJ Open

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "reasonably satisfactory" when you want to convey that something meets the minimum requirements or expectations, without being outstanding. This is useful in technical reports, evaluations, or when providing balanced feedback.

Common error

Avoid using "reasonably satisfactory" when describing something truly excellent. This phrase implies a degree of adequacy, not exceptional quality. For genuinely impressive results, use stronger adjectives like "outstanding" or "exceptional".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "reasonably satisfactory" functions as a compound adjective, modifying a noun to indicate a level of acceptability that is above 'unsatisfactory' but below 'excellent'. This is supported by Ludwig AI, which confirms its correct usage. Examples from Ludwig show the phrase qualifying various nouns like "life", "agreement", and "service".

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

Science

50%

News & Media

37%

Encyclopedias

13%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "reasonably satisfactory" is a grammatically correct and commonly used adjective phrase that indicates something is acceptable or adequate without being outstanding. According to Ludwig, the phrase is frequently found in Science and News & Media sources. The analysis shows that it serves to communicate a balanced assessment. When writing, it's best to use this phrase to describe something that meets minimum requirements without being exceptional, and to avoid using it when referring to truly impressive outcomes. Alternatives such as "moderately satisfactory" and "sufficiently satisfactory" can be used to fine-tune the level of satisfaction you wish to convey.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

moderately satisfactory

Implies a slightly more tempered level of satisfaction.

relatively satisfactory

Highlights satisfaction being in relation to a comparison.

sufficiently satisfactory

Focuses on meeting a necessary level of satisfaction.

acceptably adequate

Replaces "satisfactory" with "adequate", suggesting a basic level of acceptability.

adequately pleasing

Uses "pleasing" to express satisfaction, implying a mild positive experience.

passably acceptable

Emphasizes the barely acceptable nature of the outcome.

fairly adequate

Substitutes "satisfactory" with "adequate", indicating a level that is just good enough.

tolerably sufficient

Suggests a level of sufficiency that is barely tolerable.

serviceable enough

Indicates that something is functional and meets basic requirements.

well enough

Indicates that something is satisfactory to the level needed in a situation.

FAQs

How can I use "reasonably satisfactory" in a sentence?

You can use "reasonably satisfactory" to describe something that is acceptable but not outstanding. For example, "The test results were "reasonably satisfactory", indicating that the treatment is working to some extent."

What are some alternatives to "reasonably satisfactory"?

Alternatives to "reasonably satisfactory" include "moderately satisfactory", "sufficiently satisfactory", or "acceptably adequate". Choose the alternative that best fits the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is "reasonably satisfactory" a formal or informal expression?

"Reasonably satisfactory" is suitable for both formal and informal contexts, although it's more common in professional and academic writing. In very casual settings, you might opt for simpler phrases like "good enough".

What is the difference between "reasonably satisfactory" and "completely satisfactory"?

"Reasonably satisfactory" suggests that something meets the minimum requirements or expectations without being outstanding. "Completely satisfactory", on the other hand, indicates full and total fulfillment of expectations. The former implies there's room for improvement, while the latter suggests perfection.