sufficiently good

USAGE SUMMARY

"sufficiently good" is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
It is generally used to describe something that is satisfactory, but could potentially be improved upon. For example: "The committee's solution to the issue was sufficiently good, but there were still some areas to address."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

"With sufficiently good technology you could do that," Ramirez says.

The Guardian

But he's a sufficiently good student to have picked up valuable pointers from both.

The New York Times

Staining quality of MitoTrackers is sufficiently good for studying the morphology of halophiles.

Nature

As a result, many approaches to generating sufficiently good solutions have been introduced.

Information Sciences

In general, the recoveries of the optimized methods were sufficiently good [92 103%].

Microchemical Journal

In the past, the job market was sufficiently good that a college graduate obtained a job requiring a college degree.

University of California, Berkeley

"It's a sufficiently good business deal that you would think it would attract more interest," he said.

The New York Times - Sports

Scowcroft does not believe that the promotion of American-style democracy abroad is a sufficiently good reason to use force.

The New Yorker

The accord of calculated values with those experimentally determined was sufficiently good.

Polymer

Fortunately Stuart Broad was in sufficiently good humour afterwards not to refer to "distinctly average decision-making".

The Guardian - Sport

State capitalism is sufficiently good at mimicking the market to ensure it has plenty of life left in it.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "sufficiently good" when you want to indicate that something meets the minimum requirements or standards without necessarily being exceptional. It implies adequacy rather than excellence.

Common error

Avoid using "sufficiently good" when you actually mean 'excellent' or 'outstanding'. "Sufficiently good" implies adequacy, not superiority.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "sufficiently good" functions as an adjectival phrase used to describe a noun, indicating that it meets a certain threshold of acceptability or adequacy. As Ludwig AI confirms, it is a correct and usable expression in written English, suggesting a satisfactory but not necessarily exceptional level of quality.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

40%

News & Media

35%

Academia

25%

Less common in

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "sufficiently good" is a common and grammatically correct expression used to describe something that meets the minimum requirements or standards without being exceptional. Ludwig's analysis of numerous examples reveals its prevalence across various domains, including science, news, and academia. The phrase serves to convey a moderate level of satisfaction or approval. While alternatives like "adequately acceptable" or "reasonably satisfactory" exist, "sufficiently good" strikes a balance between formality and clarity. As Ludwig AI confirms, using this phrase effectively involves understanding its subtle implication of adequacy rather than excellence, making it crucial to avoid overstating the quality of something.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

reasonably satisfactory

Suggests that something meets the requirements to a fair extent, though not exceptionally.

fairly adequate

Indicates a moderate level of adequacy, suggesting a balance between meeting expectations and being outstanding.

competently acceptable

Suggests a capable standard of acceptability, combining skill with basic approval.

acceptably fine

Conveys that something is adequate and meets a basic standard of approval, minimizing potential issues.

adequately acceptable

Replaces both words "sufficiently" and "good" with synonyms, emphasizing the acceptance of a minimum standard.

suitably adequate

Swaps both words for alternatives, implying a fit for a specific purpose with a basic level of satisfactoriness.

serviceably effective

Highlights that something is operational and fulfills its basic function, prioritizing utility over high quality.

passably decent

Implies that something is just good enough to pass without serious criticism, slightly lowering the expectation.

minimally adequate

Emphasizes that something barely reaches the required standard, stressing the lower end of acceptability.

tolerably well

Indicates something is in acceptable condition, though it may not be outstanding, focusing on its manageability.

FAQs

How can I use "sufficiently good" in a sentence?

Use "sufficiently good" to describe something that meets the minimum requirements or standards. For example, "The product was "sufficiently good" for its intended purpose, although it could have been better."

What are some alternatives to saying "sufficiently good"?

Alternatives to "sufficiently good" include "adequately acceptable", "reasonably satisfactory", or "acceptably fine", depending on the context.

Is "sufficiently good" a formal or informal expression?

"Sufficiently good" is suitable for both formal and informal contexts, although more precise language may be preferred in highly formal writing.

What's the difference between "sufficiently good" and "very good"?

"Sufficiently good" implies that something is adequate or meets the minimum requirements, while "very good" suggests that something exceeds expectations and is of high quality. It marks a difference in the level of expectations.