Enoughness

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The quality or state of being sufficient to meet needs or satisfy conditions
2. A measure of adequacy in meeting requirements or standards
3. The condition of possessing an adequate amount to fulfill a purpose or demand

Etymology: "Enoughness" is a plain English compound: the adjective-turned-noun "enough" with the suffix "-ness," which attaches to adjectives to form nouns of quality or state (as in "kindness" or "happiness"). "Enough" itself descends from Old English "genōg," a word meaning sufficient, which has long been used both as an adjective and, as here, as a noun. The suffix "-ness" is native to English, traceable to Old English "-nes(s)," and it has been used productively for centuries to turn adjectives into abstract nouns. Because "enough" is already a quantity word rather than a descriptive adjective, the coinage is less common than "sufficiency," which came into English through Latin, so "enoughness" sounds more homely and direct. Its meaning follows the pattern of the suffix exactly: the state of having enough.

Synonyms: sufficiency, adequacy, ample, plenty, satisfaction

Antonyms: insufficiency, inadequacy, scarcity, deficiency, lack