as in lacking
not coming up to an expected measure or meeting a particular need
an inadequate amount of food on hand for so many unexpected guests
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of inadequate
Large projects often struggle with financial constraints and inadequate planning.
—
IEEE Spectrum, 1 July 2025
The latest report said procedures put in place following the 2022 memorandum were inadequate.
—ArsTechnica, 30 June 2025
In fact, inadequate sleep increases the risk of postpartum depression.4
The good news is that there are ways to make recovery more bearable.
—Melissa Willets, Parents, 30 June 2025
The starving infants are the quieter deaths in an aid system criticized as inadequate and marred by fatal violence.
—Freddie Clayton, NBC news, 28 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for inadequate
IEEE Spectrum, 1 July 2025
The latest report said procedures put in place following the 2022 memorandum were inadequate.
—ArsTechnica, 30 June 2025
In fact, inadequate sleep increases the risk of postpartum depression.4
The good news is that there are ways to make recovery more bearable.
—Melissa Willets, Parents, 30 June 2025
The starving infants are the quieter deaths in an aid system criticized as inadequate and marred by fatal violence.
—Freddie Clayton, NBC news, 28 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for inadequate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inadequate
Adjective
-
Tax revenues alone are insufficient to cover the government’s expenses.—
Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
15 July 2025
-
The comments coincided with the 10-year anniversary of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which was originally intended to halt Iran’s nuclear ambitions, but which some have argued was insufficient to adequately deter Tehran.—
Caitlin McFall,
FOXNews.com,
14 July 2025
Adjective
-
Longevity Delivers More Than Health These stories prove what’s possible, even when resources are scarce.—
Sylvana Quader Sinha,
Forbes.com,
14 July 2025
-
But for most people real human attention is scarce.—
Paul Bloom,
New Yorker,
14 July 2025
Adjective
-
Europe’s Stoxx 600 index closed 0.06% lower on Monday, after shaving off losses late in the day to finish at a session high.—
Chloe Taylor,Holly Ellyatt,
CNBC,
15 July 2025
-
In the United States, a measles outbreak that originated in a part of West Texas that has a low vaccination rate continues to spread, and there have been more measles cases reported in the US this year than any other since the disease was declared eliminated a quarter-century ago.—
Jacqueline Howard,
CNN Money,
15 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Inadequate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inadequate. Accessed 22 Jul. 2025.
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