Satisfactory
adj, noun ·Common ·High school level
Definitions
- 1 Somebody or something that meets requirements without exceeding them.
"They seem quite big on more selectivity in breeding and stiffer tests to divide the satisfactories from rejects. They say that even the term 'satisfactories' is wrong because it suggests a level just above mediocrity."
- 2 The rating given to somebody or something that meets requirements without exceeding them.
"I've been a good student — mostly distinguisheds and only a few satisfactories […]"
- 1 Done to satisfaction; adequate or sufficient.
"The satisfactory results of the survey led to his promotion."
- 2 Causing satisfaction; agreeable or pleasant; satisfying.
"To own a bit of ground, to scratch it with a hoe, to plant seeds, and watch their renewal of life,—this is the commonest delight of the race, the most satisfactory thing a man can do."
- 3 Making atonement for a sin; expiatory.
"[…] therefore the ſuffering of any other nature could not bee ſo pertinent, nor kindly ſatisfactory."
- 1 meeting requirements wordnet
- 2 giving satisfaction wordnet
Example
More examples"Your answer is far from satisfactory."
Etymology
Borrowed from Middle French satisfactoire, from Late Latin satisfactōrius, from Latin satisfactus, past participle of satisfaciō.
More for "satisfactory"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.