fullnægjandi

Fullnægjandi is an Icelandic adjective meaning satisfactory, adequate, or sufficient to meet a requirement. It is used to describe whether something satisfies expectations, standards, or criteria. Typical contexts include evaluating evidence, explanations, results, or compliance with rules. For example, “fullnægjandi gögn” means sufficient documents, and “fullnægjandi lausn” refers to an adequate solution.

Etymology and form: fullnægjandi derives from the verb fullnægja, meaning to satisfy or fulfill. The adjective is formed with the participial suffix -andi, yielding a descriptor that literally means “something that satisfies.” Like other Icelandic adjectives, fullnægjandi inflects to agree with the noun it modifies in gender, number, and case, and can appear in predicative and attributive positions, e.g., “Rökstuðningurinn var fullnægjandi” (The reasoning was satisfactory).

Usage considerations: The term is common in formal, administrative, legal, academic, and evaluative writing. It conveys a positive but measured assessment, signaling that requirements have been met without implying excellence. In practice, it is often contrasted with terms like “ófullnægjandi” (unsatisfactory) to indicate evaluation outcomes.

Examples:

- Rannsóknin gaf fullnægjandi gögn fyrir niðurstöðu. (The investigation provided sufficient evidence for the conclusion.)

- Skýrslan var fullnægjandi og uppfyllti kröfurnar. (The report was satisfactory and met the requirements.)

See also: Icelandic adjectives and participles; enslated evaluative terms in Icelandic; fullnægja as a verb.