suffisante

Suffisante is the feminine form of the French adjective suffisant, used to describe something that is sufficient, adequate, or meets the requirements of a given situation. The corresponding forms are suffisant (masculine singular), suffisante (feminine singular), suffisants (masculine plural), and suffisantes (feminine plural). The related noun is suffisance, meaning sufficiency or adequacy.

In logic and mathematics, suffisant is used in the concept of a sufficient condition. A condition suffisant for a conclusion is one that guarantees the conclusion if it holds, though it may not be the only way for the conclusion to occur. In other words, the conclusion can be true with other causes as well. For example, having a lamp turned on is a condition suffisant for a room to be illuminated, but the room can also be lit by another light source or by daylight without the lamp being on.

Etymology traces suffisant to the Latin sufficiens, from sufficere, with suffisance and suffisante forming the related noun and feminine adjective. The term is common in everyday French as well as in academic or technical contexts, where it helps contrast with nécessaire (necessary) and with the idea of sufficiency in evaluating conditions, proofs, or resources.

Usage notes: suffisant conveys adequacy without implying excess; it is often contrasted with insuffisant (insufficient) and with des autres conditions qui pourraient aussi être suffisantes. See also suffisance, condition suffisante, et condition nécessaire.