inadequate
/ɪnˈædəkwɪt/
Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.
Also seen as: inadequates
Sense 1
Meaning · English
Not adequate; lacking in quality or quantity required; insufficient for a purpose.
Adjective
Examples
inadequate resources
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).
Sense 2
Meaning · English
A person who is inadequate.
Noun
Examples
Thus, at some critical level of unemployment, “the unemployed” becomes a negative reference group of inadequates, the hardcore unemployed […]
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “inadequate” mean?
Not adequate; lacking in quality or quantity required; insufficient for a purpose.
Is “inadequate” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.