| 释义 |
sufficiency|səˈfɪʃənsɪ|
Also 5–7 -encie, 8 -entcy.
[ad. L. sufficientia (see prec. and -ency). Cf. It. soffic(i)enza, -ia, Sp. suficiencia.]
†1. Sufficient means or wealth; ability or competence to meet pecuniary obligations. Obs.
1495Act 11 Hen. VII, c. 24 §3 Iffe ther be not persones of suche sufficiencie within the Shire. 1601F. Tate Househ. Ord. Edw. II §1 (1876) 5 This stewarde shall be a man of good sufficiency. 1611Bible Lev. v. 7 marg. His hand cannot reach to the sufficiencie of a lambe. Ibid. Job xx. 22 In the fulnesse of his sufficiencie, he shalbe in straites. 1682J. Scarlett Exchanges 48 The one as well as the other [viz. the drawer and the remitter], must be careful, and enquire into each others Sufficiency. 1747Act 20 Geo. II, c. 43 §36 The Clerk of Court shall be answerable for the Sufficiency of such Cautioner.
b. A sufficient supply; a competence.
1608D. T[uvill] Ess. Pol. & Mor. 50 b, The powerfull hand of irreprooueable wisdom, hath divided our sufficiencie into little portions. 1645Cromwell Let. to Lenthall 14 Sept. (Carlyle), The same spirit of faith by which we ask all our sufficiency, and have received it. 1682W. Penn in Life Wks. 1782 I. p. lxxx, Let your industry..go no farther than for a sufficiency for life. 1728–46Thomson Spring 1157 An elegant sufficiency, content, Retirement, rural quiet. 1898‘H. S. Merriman’ Roden's Corner viii. 78 Holland suggests..an elderly gentleman..who, having laid by a small sufficiency, sits peaceably by the fire.
c. Adequate provision of food or bodily comfort.
1796C. Smith Marchmont I. 169 [He] could not afford to repair or to live in it [sc. the house] with any degree of comfortable sufficiency for years before his death. 1837H. Martineau Soc. Amer. III. 139 She and her daughter..kept the house, which might vie with any nobleman's for true luxury; perfect sufficiency and neatness. 1848Mill Pol. Econ. iv. ii. §4. 256 There is..sufficiency everywhere when anciently there would have been scarcity in some places and superfluity in others.
2. The condition or quality of being sufficient for its purpose or for the end in view; adequacy.
1565Stapleton tr. Staphylus' Apol. 161 b, The sufficiency of only faith to saluation. 1589Hay any Work 27 We know the sufficiencie of it [sc. a book] to be such, as the Puritans are not able to answere it. c1650Bradford Plymouth Plant. (1856) 75 Perceiveing y⊇ mariners to feare y⊇ suffisiencie of y⊇ shipe. 1661Pepys Diary 15 July, I read over the will, and had their advice therein, who as to the sufficiency thereof confirmed me. 1726Ayliffe Parergon 116 The Competency or Sufficiency of an Ecclesiastical Benefice, ought to be considered..in respect of the..Charges incumbent on such a Benefice. 1755Young Centaur (1757) IV. i. 112 The sufficiency of human reason. 1839Hallam Lit. Eur. ii. viii. §8 Montuela calls him the model of commentators for the pertinence and sufficiency of his notes. 1863H. Cox Instit. iii. v. 658 Surveyors, who report on the sufficiency of river steam-vessels before they are entitled to ply for passengers. 1884Law Rep. 27 Chanc. Div. 630 There is a doubt about the sufficiency of the assets. 1912Oxf. Univ. Gaz. 6 Nov. 149/1 The Board shall in writing report to the Regius Professor of Divinity as to the sufficiency of the Candidate's work.
3. (A) sufficient number or quantity of; enough.
1531Tindale Expos. 1 John (1537) 88 We ought to aske of God only sufficyency of all worldly thynges. 1598R. Barckley Felic. Man (1631) 491 That which bringeth forth contentation, is a sufficiency of things. 1623Bingham Xenophon 93 If we shall finde such sufficiencie of shipping, that not one of vs shall need to be left behinde. a1640T. Jackson Treat. Signs Times Wks. 1673 II. 380 The daily sacrifice of beasts did cease for want of provision, they having plenty, or sufficiency of nothing but of famine. 1747Wesley Prim. Physick (1755) Pref. p. xiii, There is Sufficiency of other Medicines. 1774Goldsmith Nat. Hist. (1862) I. ii. v. 321 When he has eaten a sufficiency, he then retires. 1832Lyell Princ. Geol. II. xv. 244 So as to afford sufficiency of wood for fuel. 1859Cornwallis New World I. 353 For practical mining purposes it contained no sufficiency of gold. 1901T. J. Alldridge Sherbro xv. 145 None of the women wear any clothes, there is simply a sufficiency of strung beads around their waists.
4. Sufficient capacity to perform or undertake something; adequate qualification; ability, competency. Obs. or arch.
1567Reg. Privy Council Scot. Ser. i. I. 539 The honestie, habilitie,..and sufficiency of oure said dearest brother to have the cure..of oure said..sone. 1583Stubbes Anat. Abus. ii. (1882) 54 Their knowledge, discretion, and sufficiencie in their art. 1590Sir J. Smythe Disc. Weapons (title-p.), The great sufficiencie, excellencie and wonderful effects of Archers. 1604Shakes. Oth. i. iii. 224 We haue there a Substitute of most allowed sufficiencie. 1627Hakewill Apol. (1630) 220 Well knowne in London for his Sufficiencie in his profession. 1690Locke Hum. Und. ii. xxvii. §8 So able a Man as he, who had Sufficiency enough to warrant all the Testimonies he gives of himself. 1786Burke Art. agst. W. Hastings Wks. 1842 II. 200 The nabob's sufficiency for the management of his own affairs. 1800Mornington in Owen Wellesley's Desp. (1877) 653 The state..has already supported them at a considerable expense, under the presumption of their sufficiency to discharge the duties. 1866Geo. Eliot F. Holt xli, Their sufficiency to judge the men who make love to them.
†b. An instance of this; a qualification; also, an accomplishment. Obs.
1590Sir J. Smythe Disc. Weapons Dedic., To set foorthe and beautifie their owne sufficiencies. 1599B. Jonson Cynthia's Rev. i. iv, I feare I may doe wrong to your sufficiencies in the reporting them. 1601― Poetaster i. ii. 132 It shall neuer put thee to thy Mathematiques, Metaphysiques, Philosophie, and I know not what suppos'd sufficiencies. 1635R. N. tr. Camden's Hist. Eliz. iii. 254 The..Privy Councell taking notice of his sufficiencies, made use of his counsaile. 1691Wood Ath. Oxon. I. 85 By recommendations made to the King of his great sufficiencies in..Oratory. 1713Steele Guard. No. 13 ⁋4 One may have an air, which proceeds from a just sufficiency and knowledge of the matter before him.
†5. = self-sufficiency 1. Obs.
1635Swan Spec. Mundi iii. §1 (1643) 42 God..whose sufficiencie and efficiencie is altogether absolute.
6. = self-sufficiency 2. arch.
1638Rouse Heav. Acad. ix. 135 They thought their own eyes sufficient to see, and their own eares to heare; and resting in this insufficient sufficiencie [etc.]. 1690Temple Ess., Anc. & Mod. Learn. 3, I could not read either of this Strain, without some indignation, which no quality among men is so apt to raise in me as sufficiency, the worst composition out of the pride and ignorance of mankind. 1711Shaftesbury Charact. (1737) II. i. ii. 207, I cou'd never have the Sufficiency to shock my Spiritual and Learned Superiours. 1734tr. Rollin's Belles Lettres (1783) I. 280 By this air of sufficiency they think they gain the esteem of others, though they only procure their contempt. 1893Stevenson Catriona viii, Who effer heard of such suffeeciency as tell a shentlemans that is the king's officer he cannae speak Cot's English? |