SATISFACTORY

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does satisfactory mean? 

• SATISFACTORY (adjective)
  The adjective SATISFACTORY has 2 senses:

1. giving satisfaction

2. meeting requirements

  Familiarity information: SATISFACTORY used as an adjective is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• SATISFACTORY (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Giving satisfaction

Context example:

his grades were satisfactory

Similar:

adequate; fair to middling; passable; tolerable (about average; acceptable)

all right; cool; fine; hunky-dory; o.k.; ok; okay (being satisfactory or in satisfactory condition)

alright (nonstandard usage)

cheering; comforting; satisfying (providing freedom from worry)

copacetic; copasetic; copesetic; copesettic (completely satisfactory)

passing (allowing you to pass (e.g., an examination or inspection) satisfactorily)

right (in or into a satisfactory condition)

Also:

acceptable (worthy of acceptance or satisfactory)

adequate; equal (having the requisite qualities or resources to meet a task)

Antonym:

unsatisfactory (not giving satisfaction)

Derivation:

satisfactoriness (the quality of giving satisfaction sufficient to meet a demand or requirement)

satisfy (fill, satisfy or meet a want or need or condtion ro restriction)

satisfy (meet the requirements or expectations of)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Meeting requirements

Synonyms:

acceptable; decent; satisfactory

Context example:

a decent wage

Similar:

good (having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified)

Derivation:

satisfactoriness (the quality of giving satisfaction sufficient to meet a demand or requirement)

satisfy (fill, satisfy or meet a want or need or condtion ro restriction)

satisfy (meet the requirements or expectations of)

 Context examples 

This meeting of the two parties proved highly satisfactory, and decided the whole business at once.

(Persuasion, by Jane Austen)

Pencils, too, and knives—all was satisfactory.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

The general's utmost anger could not be to herself what it might be to a daughter; and, besides, she thought the examination itself would be more satisfactory if made without any companion.

(Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen)

The most satisfactory comparisons were rising in her mind.

(Emma, by Jane Austen)

A most thorough and satisfactory demonstration!

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Not all that Mrs. Bennet, however, with the assistance of her five daughters, could ask on the subject, was sufficient to draw from her husband any satisfactory description of Mr. Bingley.

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)

His letters were such a comfort, for the home letters were very irregular and not half so satisfactory as his when they did come.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

For a year or more I had endeavoured to find a satisfactory answer to her often-repeated question, “What I would like to be?”

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

It was twelve o'clock before I got any satisfactory hint of such a building, and this I got at a coffee-shop, where some workmen were having their dinner.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

The meeting was very satisfactory on each side.

(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)