satisfactory

 
Pronunciation: /satɪsˈfakt(ə)ri/

adjective

  • fulfilling expectations or needs; acceptable, though not outstanding or perfect: he didn’t get a satisfactory answer
  • (of a patient in a hospital) not deteriorating or likely to die: Mrs Reeves was ‘satisfactory and improving slightly’ in Middlesbrough General Hospital last night
  • Law (of evidence or a verdict) sufficient for the needs of the case: the verdict is safe and satisfactory

Derivatives

satisfactorily

adverb

satisfactoriness

noun

Origin:

late Middle English (in the sense 'leading to the atonement of sin'): from Old French satisfactoire or medieval Latin satisfactorius, from Latin satisfacere 'to content' (see satisfy). The current senses date from the mid 17th century