Acceptable vs Adequate vs Decent vs Good enough

Quand utiliser chacun en anglais, avec le sens, le registre et des exemples.

Acceptable

Top 2000 (courant) B2 adjective

Adequate

Top 2000 (courant) B2 adjective

Decent

Top 2000 (courant) B2 adjective

Good enough

Au-delà de 10 000 (moins courant)

	Acceptable	Adequate	Decent	Good enough
Prononciation	🇬🇧 /["/əkˈseptəbl/"]/ 🇺🇸 /["/əkˈseptəbl/"]/	🇬🇧 //ˈædɪkwət// 🇺🇸 //ˈædɪkwɪt//	🇬🇧 /["/ˈdiːsnt/"]/ 🇺🇸 /["/ˈdiːsnt/"]/	🇬🇧 //ɡʊd ɪˈnʌf// 🇺🇸 //ɡʊd ɪˈnʌf//
Sens	Okay or good enough to be used. Okay or good enough to be used.	Assez bien pour ce qui est nécessaire. Good enough for what is needed.	Assez bien ; acceptable. Good enough; acceptable.	Ça va, mais c'est pas parfait. Satisfactory, but not perfect.
Exemple	The noise level in the library is not acceptable for studying.	The food was adequate, but I expected something better.	She has a decent understanding of the topic.	The meal was good enough for me, though it could have used more flavor.
Registre	Neutre	Neutre	Neutre	Neutre
Fréquence	Top 2000 (courant)	Top 2000 (courant)	Top 2000 (courant)	Au-delà de 10 000 (moins courant)
Niveau CEFR	B2	B2	B2	-
Nature grammaticale	adjective	adjective	adjective
Collocations	be, prove, seem, highly, very, completely, to, the boundaries of acceptable…, the bounds of acceptable…, the limits of acceptable…, be, prove, seem, highly, very, completely, to, the boundaries of acceptable…, the bounds of acceptable…, the limits of acceptable…	adequate resources, adequate solution, adequate response	be, look, really, very, perfectly, to, be, very, really, perfectly, do the decent thing, be, look, really, very, perfectly, to	good enough for government work, good enough to eat, good enough to go, good enough to pass, good enough to satisfy
Antonymes	unacceptable, unsatisfactory, poor	inadequate, insufficient	poor, subpar, inferior	-
Erreurs fréquentes	Confused with 'acceptable' vs 'accepted'., Using 'acceptable' as a noun incorrectly., Overusing 'acceptable' in contexts that require stronger words like 'excellent' or 'outstanding'.	Confused with 'sufficient' - 'adequate' implies minimum quality, while 'sufficient' means enough in quantity., Using 'adequate' too casually, as it is more formal., Mispronouncing it, especially in unstressed syllables.	Using 'decent' to mean 'excellent' instead of 'acceptable'., Confusing it with 'descent' or 'recent'.	Used in overly formal contexts where higher standards are expected., Confused with 'good' as a standalone adjective., Misused as a synonym for 'excellent'.
Notes d'usage	Used in both spoken and written contexts to indicate something that meets necessary standards. It can be formal in academic contexts and more casual in everyday conversations. Avoid in circumstances that require high standards or exceptional quality. Used in both spoken and written contexts to indicate something that meets necessary standards. It can be formal in academic contexts and more casual in everyday conversations. Avoid in circumstances that require high standards or exceptional quality.	On utilise 'adéquat' quand quelque chose répond aux exigences nécessaires, mais n'est pas exceptionnel. C'est souvent utilisé dans des contextes formels, comme des rapports ou des évaluations. Use 'adequate' when something meets the necessary requirements, but is not exceptional. It's often used in formal contexts, like reports or evaluations.	Utilisez 'décent' pour décrire quelque chose qui répond aux normes de base mais qui n'est pas exceptionnel. Il convient à la plupart des contextes mais peut sembler trop informel dans des situations très formelles. Use 'decent' when describing something that meets basic standards but isn't exceptional. It's suitable for most contexts but may sound too casual in very formal situations.	On l'utilise pour dire que quelque chose remplit les conditions minimales. Ça passe dans la plupart des situations, mais si tu vises l'excellence, c'est peut-être pas le top. Used to express that something meets the minimum requirements. Appropriate in both formal and informal contexts, but less suitable for situations requiring high standards.

Vois-le dans de vrais extraits

Ted Lasso › S1 E1

Now, Coach Lasso may not have the CV that you all find acceptable,

Breaking Bad › S1 E1

but thank you, Jesse. I'm glad it's acceptable.

Ted Lasso › S1 E1

Now, Coach Lasso may not have the CV that you all find acceptable,

Breaking Bad › S1 E1

but thank you, Jesse. I'm glad it's acceptable.

Acceptable

Captain, the decent thing to do

Succession › S1 E1

Logan, himself, has made a decent way for himself these past 60 years.

The Lord Of The Rings › The return of the king

We're not in decent places.

Captain, the decent thing to do

Succession › S1 E1

Logan, himself, has made a decent way for himself these past 60 years.

Decent

Is my credit good enough to buy you out?

Breaking Bad › S1 E5

So what? Cloudy, not cloudy? It looks good enough to me.

...the truth isn't good enough.

Is my credit good enough to buy you out?

Breaking Bad › S1 E5

So what? Cloudy, not cloudy? It looks good enough to me.

Good enough

Questions fréquentes : Acceptable vs Adequate vs Decent vs Good enough

Quelle est la différence entre Acceptable, Adequate, Decent et Good enough ?

Acceptable: Okay or good enough to be used. Adequate: Good enough for what is needed. Decent: Good enough; acceptable. Good enough: Satisfactory, but not perfect.

Peux-tu montrer un exemple de chacun ?

Acceptable: The noise level in the library is not acceptable for studying. Adequate: The food was adequate, but I expected something better. Decent: She has a decent understanding of the topic. Good enough: The meal was good enough for me, though it could have used more flavor.

Puis-je utiliser Acceptable, Adequate, Decent et Good enough de façon interchangeable ?

Pas toujours. Acceptable, Adequate, Decent et Good enough sont proches et se recoupent parfois, mais elles diffèrent par le registre, la fréquence et l'usage, donc remplacer l'une par l'autre peut changer le sens ou le ton. Regarde les différences ci-dessus avant de substituer.