sufficed; sufficing
1
: to meet or satisfy a need : be sufficient
a brief note will suffice
—often used with an impersonal itsuffice it to say that they are dedicated, serious personalities—
Cheryl Aldridge
Cheryl Aldridge2
: to be competent or capable
: to be enough for
a few more should suffice them
sufficer
noun
Examples of suffice in a Sentence
She's also decided that she can't countenance her mother, who gives Jane cash but demands that her daughter save every receipt or package to prove that she didn't spend the money on drugs. Suffice it to say, their short-lived truce is over.
—Alec Klein, A Class Apart: Prodigies, Pressure, and Passion Inside One of America's Best High Schools, 2007
Thirteen years later, I still don't know exactly what to make of this letter. It goes without saying that a simple thank-you note, especially nearly a year late, would have sufficed.
—Scott Turow, Atlantic, December 2005
But what of the meteoroids that come from other large objects in the solar system? To escape from Venus or the Earth, matter must be ejected at a velocity of at least seven miles a second; on Mars, three miles a second will suffice.
—Donald Goldsmith, Natural History, September 2003
No, you don't need to write a letter. A phone call will suffice.
Her example alone should suffice to show that anything is possible.
Alec Klein, A Class Apart: Prodigies, Pressure, and Passion Inside One of America's Best High Schools, 2007
Thirteen years later, I still don't know exactly what to make of this letter. It goes without saying that a simple thank-you note, especially nearly a year late, would have sufficed.
—Scott Turow, Atlantic, December 2005
But what of the meteoroids that come from other large objects in the solar system? To escape from Venus or the Earth, matter must be ejected at a velocity of at least seven miles a second; on Mars, three miles a second will suffice.
—Donald Goldsmith, Natural History, September 2003
No, you don't need to write a letter. A phone call will suffice.
Her example alone should suffice to show that anything is possible.
Recent Examples on the Web
With nearly 37 million working-age adults holding some college credit but no degree, and many graduates struggling with debt, incremental changes won't suffice.
—Alison Griffin, Forbes, 11 Mar. 2025
But suffice to say, extensive inactivity — particularly sitting at a desk, which presents unique biomechanical challenges because the knees and hips are positioned at unnatural 90-degree angles — is really, really bad for you.
—Deborah Vankin, Los Angeles Times, 22 Feb. 2025
With that in mind, there was really nothing else that would suffice for a birthday party theme.
—Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 17 Feb. 2025
Without getting into the weeds of OpenAI’s ridiculously complex ownership flowchart, suffice it to say: There is a for-profit entity (the thing investors are salivating over) that’s currently controlled by a nonprofit board.
—Allison Morrow, CNN, 12 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for suffice
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Alison Griffin, Forbes, 11 Mar. 2025
But suffice to say, extensive inactivity — particularly sitting at a desk, which presents unique biomechanical challenges because the knees and hips are positioned at unnatural 90-degree angles — is really, really bad for you.
—Deborah Vankin, Los Angeles Times, 22 Feb. 2025
With that in mind, there was really nothing else that would suffice for a birthday party theme.
—Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 17 Feb. 2025
Without getting into the weeds of OpenAI’s ridiculously complex ownership flowchart, suffice it to say: There is a for-profit entity (the thing investors are salivating over) that’s currently controlled by a nonprofit board.
—Allison Morrow, CNN, 12 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for suffice
Articles Related to suffice
Cite this Entry
“Suffice.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/suffice. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
suffice
verb
suf·fice
sə-ˈfīs 
sufficed; sufficing
1
: to meet or satisfy a need : be sufficient
a brief note will suffice
2
: to be competent or capable
3
: to be enough for
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