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# insufficient

«insufficient» in Mova's school dictionary: **not enough; less than what is needed** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples.

### part of speech

adjective (formal)

### meaning for a pupil

1) Insufficient means not enough; less than what is needed. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/insufficient/#m1)

2) (formal) Used about evidence, money, time or effort that does not meet a need. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/insufficient/#m2)

### sense in the lessons

Used in formal writing, exams and messages: «insufficient funds», «insufficient evidence», «insufficient time». It tells the reader something is short of what is needed.

### examples

- There was insufficient water for all the plants. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/insufficient/#x1)
- The bank said there were insufficient funds. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/insufficient/#x2)
- The police had insufficient evidence. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/insufficient/#x3)
- The answer gave insufficient detail. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/insufficient/#x4)
- Insufficient sleep can make you tired and grumpy. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/insufficient/#x5)
- There were insufficient chairs for everyone. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/insufficient/#x6)
- The vessel, you must understand, was so long, and broad, and ponderous, that the united force of all the fifty was insufficient to shove her into the water. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/insufficient/#x7)

### note

Formal; everyday talk says «not enough». Opposite: sufficient. «An insufficient» (vowel sound). In maths, «insufficient» means the amount is less than needed: if 30 chairs are needed and 24 are there, they are 6 short.

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «insufficient» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/insufficient/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.