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
Meanwhile, the same debates accompanying discussions of slavery reparations in greater society permeate the order as well: Some feel a moral urgency while others criticize the effort as unfairly burdening the entities of today or suggesting the order’s ongoing work with the poor should suffice.
—Marc Ramirez, USA TODAY, 17 Feb. 2025
On this particular night, however, role playing must suffice.
—Abigail Adams, People.com, 14 Feb. 2025
These intramural researchers can also communicate with collaborators, and the program officers who oversee extramural grants can talk to grantees about work funded prior to 20 January—and can meet in person if online meetings won’t suffice.
—Byjocelyn Kaiser, science.org, 27 Jan. 2025
When wildfires are encroaching on homes and public spaces, waiting for help to arrive may not suffice.
—Esme Mazzeo, CNN, 18 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for suffice 
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Marc Ramirez, USA TODAY, 17 Feb. 2025
On this particular night, however, role playing must suffice.
—Abigail Adams, People.com, 14 Feb. 2025
These intramural researchers can also communicate with collaborators, and the program officers who oversee extramural grants can talk to grantees about work funded prior to 20 January—and can meet in person if online meetings won’t suffice.
—Byjocelyn Kaiser, science.org, 27 Jan. 2025
When wildfires are encroaching on homes and public spaces, waiting for help to arrive may not suffice.
—Esme Mazzeo, CNN, 18 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for suffice
Articles Related to suffice
Dictionary Entries Near suffice
Cite this Entry
“Suffice.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/suffice. Accessed 20 Feb. 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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