inadekvat

Inadekvat is a formal adjective used in Swedish and Norwegian to describe something that does not meet the required standard or is insufficient to achieve a stated purpose. It is formed from in- plus adekvat (the Scandinavian form of adequate), with roots in the Latin adequare/adequatus. The English equivalent is inadequate.

The term appears across various domains. In business and governance it may flag insufficient resources or capabilities. In data and research it can describe poor data quality or flawed methodology. In law it can indicate evidence or procedures that fail to meet statutory standards. In medicine and safety-critical fields it is used to note insufficient treatment, dosing, or compliance with guidelines, and in engineering or quality assurance it may refer to non-conforming specifications or performances.

Usage notes: inadekvat is relatively formal and more common in written language, official reports, and professional discourse than in casual speech. Synonyms in Swedish include otillräcklig and bristfällig, while Norwegian equivalents include utilstrekkelig. The term is generally applied to processes, materials, results, or systems rather than to describe people, and it emphasizes failure to meet a defined adequacy standard rather than a general deficiency.

Examples: Beviset var inadekvat för att uppfylla beviskravet. The evidence was inadequate to meet the burden of proof. Behandlingens dosering var inadekvat. The dosage was inadequate.