Sufficientem

Sufficientem is a term used in analytic philosophy and informal logic to denote a sufficient condition for a given conclusion. The word is a neologism formed from Latin roots, with sufficit meaning “it is enough” and the -em suffix used to create a nominal or adjectival label. In this use, a sufficientem for a proposition P is a condition C such that, if C holds, P must hold.

In logical terms, C is a sufficientem for P if C implies P. This relation does not require C to be the only route to P; there may be multiple sufficientems or alternative pathways to the same conclusion.

Minimal sufficientem refers to the smallest or simplest set of conditions that guarantees P, while overbroad or non-minimal sufficientems include additional conditions that are not strictly necessary.

Examples include: (1) In a safety policy, proper implementation of a set of procedures may be a sufficientem for reducing risk; (2) In a legal context, possessing a valid permit may be a sufficientem for conducting a regulated activity, though other permissions or exemptions might also apply.

Usage and discussion: The term is not widely standardized and is typically defined in context within philosophical or logical analyses. It is often contrasted with necessary conditions and with necessary and sufficient conditions, clarifying the direction of the implication rather than combining necessity and sufficiency in one label.

See also: sufficiency, necessary condition, sufficient condition, logical implication, minimal sufficiency, sufficient statistic.