inadequat

Inadequat is not a standard term in English. In most contexts it appears as a misspelling or typographical error for inadequate or inadequacy, rather than as a word with its own established meaning. Because of this, it has no widely accepted definition in major English dictionaries.

Etymology and variants: If encountered as a variant of inadequate, the form would be built from the negative prefix in- attached to adequate. The base word adequate derives from Latin and French roots meaning "sufficient" or "equal." In French, the closely related adjective is inadéquat, spelled with an accented e, and it means unsuitable or inappropriate; without accents, inadéquat is often treated as a nonstandard rendering in French texts.

Usage and recognition: There is no recognized sense of inadequat as a standalone word in standard English reference works. When seen in print, it is typically a misspelling, a typographical error, or, occasionally, a proper name or brand in a fictional or branded context. In formal writing, it should be corrected to inadequate (adjective) or inadequacy (noun) depending on the intended meaning.

See also: inadequate, inadequacy, inadéquat (French).