arch. Forms: 4–6 sufficiens, 5 suffisiance, suffycyence, -ens, 5–6 sufficians, 5–7 -aunce, 6 suficiens, suffiecence, 4– sufficience. [a. OF. sufficience or ad. late L. sufficientia, f. sufficient-, -ens, SUFFICIENT: see -ENCE; cf. next and SUFFISANCE.]
1. The quality or condition of being sufficient or enough; sufficient supply, means or resources.
c. 1380. Wyclif, Serm., Sel. Wks. II. 44. Siþ alle þingis is bifore Crist, þis sufficience lastiþ longe.
1460. Capgrave, Chron. (Rolls), 92. If we be bisi for to gete us tresoure in Hevene, God schal send us sufficiens in erde.
1500–20. Dunbar, Poems, lxvii. 1. Quho thinkis that he hes sufficience Of gudis hes no indigence.
1546. Langley, trans. Pol. Verg. de Invent., I. cxv. 27 b. If it [sc. the Nile] increse unto the depth of twelue or thurtene Cubites it portendeth lacke of Sufficience.
a. 1578. Lindesay (Pitscottie), Chron. Scot. (S.T.S.), I. 57. Thinkand gif they saiffit thame selffis they had suffiecence quhill ane better fortoun.
1695. Ld. Preston, Boeth., III. pr. ii. (1712), 109. That they may have Sufficiences and Abundance within themselves.
1873. Morley, Rousseau, II. 113. This full and perfect sufficience of life was abruptly disturbed.
† b. phr. (Sc.) At or to sufficience (= F. à suffisance): in sufficient quantity, sufficiently. In sufficience: in comfort. Obs.
c. 1430. Pilgr. Lyf Manhode, I. lxxxiii. (1869), 48. Now needeth it thanne quod sapience that fulfillinge to sufficience thow fynde it.
c. 1470. Henry, Wallace, IX. 1174. Ȝon folk has fud, trast weill, at sufficians. Ibid., X. 551. Off nolt and scheip thai tuk at sufficiens.
1535. W. Stewart, Cron. Scot. (Rolls), II. 705. He wes richt weill sustenit,… At sufficience that neidfull wes to haif, With sic prouisioun that that armet [= hermit] had.
1549. Compl. Scot., iii. 26. Ȝe sal eyt ȝour breyde in suficiens.
† 2. Capacity; ability; competence. Also, a capable or competent person. Obs.
1382. Wyclif, 2 Cor. iii. 5. Not that we ben sufficient for to thenke ony thing of vs, as of vs, but oure sufficience is of God.
1432–50. trans. Higden (Rolls), I. 201. The chiefe cite of whom is callede Capua, namede so of the capacite of sufficiaunce.
1607. Rowlands, Hist. Guy War., Ep. Ded. These Artless Lines, which in the silence of greater sufficiences, serve only to keep Valour from Oblivious destruction.
1669–70. Marvell, Corr., Wks. (Grosart), II. 303. They are the judges of the sufficience of the securityes. Ibid. (1676), 498. [Hie] is very well known for his sufficience and integrity.
3. That which suffices for one’s needs; satisfaction of one’s needs; sustenance. Obs.
c. 1450. Mankind, 731, in Macro Plays, 27. Wepynge, sythynge, & sobbynge, were my suffycyens.
1500–20. Dunbar, Poems, lxxxi. 100. With gredines I sie this world ourgane, And sufficience dwellis nocht bot in heavin.
1578. Chr. Prayers, in Priv. Prayers (1851), 513. Draw the soul, that thirsteth after thee, to the rivers of everlasting sufficience, which are above.
1613. Purchas, Pilgrimage (1614), 15. This whereof wee treat they neede not, as finding all sufficience in their All-sufficient Creator.
1620. T. Granger, Div. Logike, 168. God is all sufficient, Gen. 17. 1. and giues sufficience to all his creatures.
† 4. = SELF-SUFFICIENCE. Obs.
1382. Wyclif, 2 Cor. ix. 8. To make al grace abounde in ȝou, that ȝe in alle thingis euermore hauynge al sufficience.
1669. Gale, Crt. Gentiles, I. I. i. 4. God contemplating himself beholds in his Divine Essence or Sufficience.
