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Supply vs Suffice - What's the difference?

supply | suffice |

In lang=en terms the difference between supply and suffice

is that supply is to fill temporarily; to serve as substitute for another in, as a vacant place or office; to occupy; to have possession of while suffice is to satisfy; to content; to be equal to the wants or demands of.

As verbs the difference between supply and suffice

is that supply is to provide (something), to make (something) available for use while suffice is to be enough or sufficient; to meet the need (of anything); to be equal to the end proposed; to be adequate.

As a noun supply

is (uncountable) the act of supplying.

As an adverb supply

is supplely: in a supple manner, with suppleness.

supply

English

(wikipedia supply)

Alternative forms

* supplely

Etymology 1

From (etyl) souploier, from (etyl) .

Verb

  • To provide (something), to make (something) available for use.
  • to supply money for the war
    (Prior)
  • To furnish or equip with.
  • to supply''' a furnace with fuel; to '''supply soldiers with ammunition
  • To fill up, or keep full.
  • Rivers are supplied by smaller streams.
  • To compensate for, or make up a deficiency of.
  • * 1881 , :
  • It was objected against him that he had never experienced love. Whereupon he arose, left the society, and made it a point not to return to it until he considered that he had supplied the defect.
  • To serve instead of; to take the place of.
  • * Waller
  • Burning ships the banished sun supply .
  • * Dryden
  • The sun was set, and Vesper, to supply / His absent beams, had lighted up the sky.
  • To act as a substitute.
  • To fill temporarily; to serve as substitute for another in, as a vacant place or office; to occupy; to have possession of.
  • to supply a pulpit
    Derived terms
    * supplier

    Noun

    (supplies)
  • (uncountable) The act of supplying.
  • supply and demand
  • (countable) An amount of something supplied.
  • A supply of good drinking water is essential.
  • (in the plural) provisions.
  • (mostly, in the plural) An amount of money provided, as by Parliament or Congress, to meet the annual national expenditures.
  • to vote supplies
  • Somebody, such as a teacher or clergyman, who temporarily fills the place of another; a substitute.
  • Derived terms
    * supply teacher

    Etymology 2

    Adverb

    (en adverb)
  • Supplely: in a supple manner, with suppleness.
  • * 1906 , Ford Madox Ford, The fifth queen: and how she came to court , page 68:
  • His voice was playful and full; his back was bent supply .
  • * 1938 , David Leslie Murray, Commander of the mists :
  • * 1963 , Johanna Moosdorf, Next door :
  • She swayed slightly in the gusts, bent supply to them and seemed at one with the force which Straup found so hostile.
  • * 1988 , ??????? ?????????????? ???????? (Mikhail Aleksandrovich Sholokhov), Quiet flows the Don (translated), volume 1, page 96:
  • Grigory hesitantly took her in his arms to kiss her, but she held him off, bent supply backwards and shot a frightened glance at the windows.
    'They'll see!'
    'Let them!'
    'I'd be ashamed—'

    suffice

    English

    Verb

    (suffic)
  • To be enough or sufficient; to meet the need (of anything); to be equal to the end proposed; to be adequate.
  • Two capsules of fish oil a day suffices .
  • * Milton
  • To recount almighty works, / What words or tongue of seraph can suffice ?
  • To satisfy; to content; to be equal to the wants or demands of.
  • A joint of lamb sufficed even his enormous appetite.
  • * 1838 , The Church of England quarterly review (page 203)
  • Lord Brougham's salary would have sufficed more than ninety Prussian judges.
  • To furnish; to supply adequately.
  • Usage notes

    * Commonly used in the phrase suffice it to say. * Mostly used in modal verb constructions, such as: Half a loaf per day will suffice'''.'' This is much more common than the direct form ''Half a loaf per day '''suffices .