adjectiveadverb

ausreichend

sufficient · adequate

Etwas ist genug, um einen Zweck zu erfüllen oder eine Aufgabe zu bestehen.

Definition & meaning

Ausreichend means sufficient, enough, or adequate—something meets the required standard or fulfills a need, but often without much surplus.

Die Zeit ist ausreichend. — The time is sufficient.
Eine ausreichende Vorbereitung ist wichtig. — Adequate preparation is important.

It can also describe the German school grade “satisfactory” or “sufficient”, traditionally corresponding to grade 4. It means that the minimum requirements have been met.

As an adverb, ausreichend means sufficiently or enough:

Das erklärt den Sachverhalt ausreichend. — That explains the matter sufficiently.

Grammar & Word origin

Ausreichend is an adjective and an adverb. As an adjective, it takes normal adjective endings:

ausreichende Informationen — sufficient information
mit ausreichender Erfahrung — with sufficient experience

The word comes from the verb , which consists of the prefix and . Literally, it suggests something “reaching far enough” or “being enough.”

Synonyms & antonyms

Synonyms

— enough or sufficient; very close in meaning and often interchangeable.
— sufficient; more formal and often used in academic or official contexts.
— enough; more colloquial and commonly used after a noun or with verbs.
— adequate or appropriate; emphasizes suitability rather than merely meeting a minimum requirement.
— satisfactory; can mean adequate in general contexts, but is also specifically a German school grade and may imply a somewhat higher evaluation than ausreichend.

Antonyms

— insufficient or inadequate; the most direct antonym.
— insufficient or failing; stronger than unzureichend and also used as a school grade.
— deficient or defective; emphasizes serious shortcomings or poor quality.