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Prepositions after adjectives

Adequate for or adequate to?

Adequate for is used before a purpose or need. Adequate to is followed by an action or result.

Quick answer

Adequate for vs. adequate to

Use adequate for before a noun phrase describing a purpose: adequate for children. Use adequate to before a verb: adequate to complete the task.

The room is adequate for small meetings.
Her salary is adequate to cover basic expenses.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
adequate for + purpose

Describing suitability for something

Use adequate for with needs, situations, or users.

This software is adequate for remote teams.
2
adequate to + verb

Describing enough ability or quantity

Use adequate to before an infinitive verb.

The evidence was adequate to support the claim.
3
adequate for + amount

Talking about sufficient quantity

The phrase can describe enough resources or space.

There is enough water adequate for the journey.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
adequate for
The training is adequate for beginners.
suitable or sufficient for a purpose
adequate to
The team is adequate to manage the project.
sufficient to perform an action
adequate for doing something
The equipment is adequate for running basic tests.
for can be followed by a gerund phrase
adequate to someone
The phrase adequate to customers is uncommon unless to introduces a verb.
not the normal pattern for recipients

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using for before a verb

Use to before the base verb.

✕ The funds are adequate for complete the repairs. ✓ The funds are adequate to complete the repairs.

Using to before a noun purpose

Use for with noun phrases.

✕ This desk is adequate to office work. ✓ This desk is adequate for office work.

Omitting the infinitive marker

Adequate to should be followed by a verb.

✕ Her skills are adequate the role. ✓ Her skills are adequate for the role.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. The budget is adequate ___ the campaign.
2. The evidence was adequate ___ prove negligence.
3. This guide is adequate ___ new employees.

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Frequently asked questions

Can adequate to be followed by a noun?

Usually no. Adequate to is typically followed by a verb.

Is adequate for doing something correct?

Yes. A gerund phrase can follow for, such as adequate for handling large files.

Which pattern is more common in everyday English?

Both are common, but they are used in different grammatical structures.

abhorrent-to-in-for-of, about "ablaze with" or "ablaze in"? "able for" or "able in"? "abreast of" or "abreast with"? "absent from" or "absent in"? absolute in, for, of, to or as? "absurd to", "absurd in" or "absurd for"? abundant in, with, of, on or for? "abusive to", "abusive in" or "abusive towards"? "academic in" or "academic at"? "acceptable to" or "acceptable for"? accessible to, by, for, from or in?

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