sufficiente Italian · revision 39269

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=late 13th century, Novellino|origins=la faciō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /suf.fiˈt͡ʃɛn.te/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''sufficiente''' ''m or f'' by sense (plural sufficienti)^(Wiktionary)

+ Older and variant forms include ''sofficiente'', ''sufficente'' and ''suffiziente''.^(GDLI)^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is a learned borrowing, [[bor|la|sufficiēns|t=sufficing, adequate]], the present participle of [[m|la|sufficiō|t=to supply; to be enough]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary) Nocentini points to the Late Latin use of the participle as an adjective meaning “adequate”.^(Nocentini 2010) The verb is a compound of [[m|la|sub-|t=under]] and [[m|la|faciō|t=to make, do]], with the usual weakening of the root vowel /a/ to /i/ in an open inner syllable.^(DELI 1999)^(Devoto 1968)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+

+ The sense “conceited, self-satisfied” is a semantic loan from [[fr|suffisant]], which has had this meaning since before 1613; in the same way [[sufficienza]] “haughtiness” follows [[m|fr|suffisance]] (1580 in that sense).^(DELI 1999)^(GDLI)^(Treccani 2011) The same Latin word is [[es|suficiente]].^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ DELI's first record is in the ''Novellino'', late 13th century, in the sense “enough for a need, adequate”.^(DELI 1999) The GDLI quotes Old Italian examples such as Faba and Iacopone da Todi, where the word means “capable, adequate to a task”.^(GDLI)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Old Italian already used the noun [[sufficienza]] “adequacy” (before 1306, Iacopone) and the phrase ''a sufficienza'' “enough”, which Boccaccio writes ''a sofficienza'' (1353).^(DELI 1999) Dante has the word in the ''Paradiso'' for fingers not equal to untying a knot.^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)

+

+ The logical sense, of a condition that is enough by itself for something to happen, is recorded in the Tommaseo–Bellini dictionary (1872); the phrase ''principio di ragione sufficiente'' renders Leibniz's principle of sufficient reason.^(DELI 1999)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010) The French-influenced sense “conceited” is recorded in 1873, also as a noun for a person who puts on airs.^(DELI 1999) Panzini noted in 1905 that D'Azeglio, using the French word in ''Ettore Fieramosca'', remarked that Italians lacked a fitting word for the idea.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ In schools ''sufficienza'' became the name of the pass mark, six out of ten, by 1908, and ''sufficiente'' the corresponding grade by 1940; the same word rates a civil servant's performance as adequate.^(DELI 1999)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Late 13th century – First record, in the ''Novellino''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1306 – Iacopone da Todi uses the noun ''sufficienza''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1353 – Boccaccio uses ''a sofficienza'' “enough”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1872 – The sense “(of a condition) enough by itself” is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1873 – The sense “conceited”, after French ''suffisant'', is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1908 – ''Sufficienza'' as the school pass mark is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1940 – ''Sufficiente'' as a school grade, and as a noun “what is enough”, is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|sufficient]], [[m|en|enough]]: meeting a need, though not by much: ''Il pane non era sufficiente per tutti.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # Adequate or suited to a purpose: ''una stanza sufficiente a ospitare dieci persone''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # ''(education)'' Of a mark or grade, reaching the minimum for a pass, six out of ten; of a civil servant's rating, adequate.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(figurative)'' [[m|en|conceited]], showing an irritating sense of superiority: ''Mi ha risposto con un'aria sufficiente.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(logic, mathematics)'' Of a condition, enough by itself to bring about a fact or prove a statement, ''condizione necessaria e sufficiente''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # What is enough or strictly necessary: ''guadagnare il sufficiente per vivere''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(DELI 1999)

+ # A pass mark in school: ''Ho preso sufficiente in latino.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[sufficienza]]

+ * [[sufficientemente]]

+ * [[insufficiente]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[la|sufficiō]]

+ * [[fr|suffisant]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ The spelling ''sufficente'', without the ⟨i⟩, is common but considered incorrect.^(Treccani 2011)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}