Enough

Part of speech: adjective, adverb

Pronunciation: /ɪˈnʌf/

Definitions

1. A satisfactory degree achieves the desired requirements
2. An acceptable level fulfills the expected conditions
3. Sufficient in amount or degree to meet needs or expectations

Etymology: Before "enough" was a word about sufficiency, its Old English ancestor "ġenōg" was a verb-like idea of reaching a goal: the Proto-Germanic root behind it meant "to suffice," and it is traced further back to a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to reach" or "to attain." So the word's core sense is arrival, not abundance. Cousins across the Germanic languages show the same pattern, from German "genug" to Dutch "genoeg" and Swedish "nog." The Old English form "ġenōg" was the ancestor of the Middle English "ynogh," and the spelling gradually shifted into the modern form over the following centuries. Related words in other languages keep the older sense alive: Albanian "kënaq" means "to please, satisfy," and Latin "nancisci" meant "to get" or "to obtain."

Synonyms: sufficient, adequate, ample, plenty

Antonyms: insufficient, inadequate, lacking, deficient