What does adequacy mean?
Word: Adequacy
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Adequacy means being enough, or good enough, for what is needed.
Synonyms: sufficiency, suitability
Antonyms: inadequacy, insufficiency
How do you spell adequacy?
Syllables: ad - e - qua - cy
Tricky part: The end is cy, as in accuracy, even though you hear an s sound.
Watch out for: adequasy, adequecy, adequacey
Memory tip: Adequate becomes adequacy the same way delicate becomes delicacy: the te at the end turns into cy.
Adequacy in a sentence
Example 1: The principal checked the adequacy of the seating in the hall before the school concert.
Example 2: Teachers questioned the adequacy of one textbook for such a big syllabus.
Example 3: Before the trek, our teacher checked the adequacy of everyone's water supply.
Fun Fact
Adequate comes from Latin adaequare, to make equal. Something adequate is equal to the job it has to do.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Connection
Choose the antonym of the word:
adequacy
a) comfort
b) quality
c) plenty
d) shortage
Show answer
d) shortage. A shortage means there is not enough, the opposite of adequacy.
Spell-o-Spell
Choose the correctly spelt word:
a) adequacy
b) seperate
c) priviledge
d) mischievious
Show answer
a) adequacy. Mischievous has no i before ous, privilege has no d, and separate has an a after the p.
Word Cookie
Insert the correct pair of letters to form a word:
ad_q_acy
a) e, u
b) a, u
c) e, o
d) i, u
Show answer
a) e, u. Say ad-e-qua-cy: the second beat is a plain e, and q in English nearly always has a u after it.
Mingle-Mangle
Form a meaningful word from the jumbled letters:
cqyuaade
a) equality
b) adequacy
c) quandary
d) adequate
Show answer
b) adequacy. The y and c here point to a cy ending, and only adequacy ends that way.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. The engineer doubted the adequacy of the old bridge for heavy lorries. She was not sure it was ____.
a) cheap enough
b) strong enough
c) famous enough
d) old enough
Show answer
b) strong enough
2. A report on the adequacy of school buses asks whether there are ____.
a) too many drivers on duty
b) enough buses for every child
c) new colours for the buses
d) faster routes to school
Show answer
b) enough buses for every child
