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ἱκανότης

hikanótēs

G2426 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

State or quality of being sufficient or adequate for a task; capacity or competency. Most commonly denotes sufficiency, adequacy, or capability in context, especially with respect to moral, intellectual, or practical capability, and occasionally authorization or qualification.

Semantic Range

sufficiency, capability, adequacy, competence, qualification, capacity, ability; (rarely) authorization or fitness for a function

Root / Etymology

From ἱκανός (sufficient, fit, able) with the abstract noun suffix -της, forming 'the state or quality of being sufficient/adequate.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

ἱκανότης is a rare term in extant Greek literature and is attested primarily in later and Koine sources such as the New Testament (notably 2 Corinthians 3:5–6) and Patristic authors. In its only New Testament occurrence, it describes the capability or sufficiency attributed to a person, often in the sense of divinely granted adequacy or competence. In broader Hellenistic usage, similar abstract nouns are formed from adjectives with the suffix -της to denote qualities or states of being. The nuance of this term centers on an inherent or acquired ability, but distinct from simple capacity (e.g., δύναμις, which can imply power or might). English translations often render ἱκανότης as 'sufficiency' or 'adequacy', but it also carries the sense of proper qualification for a given function, not merely the bare minimum required. Unlike some related terms, ἱκανότης does not inherently carry the idea of superlative or extraordinary ability.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from ἱκανός; ability:--sufficiency.

Root Family

ἱκαν- (hikanós) — to reach, to be sufficient, to be adequate, to be fit

Root ἱκαν- to be sufficient, to be competent, to be fit
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
G2425 ἱκανός sufficient things
G2427 ἱκανόω to the one having empowered

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G2426-01 ἱκανότης ikanotes N NOM F SG adequacy sufficiency sufficiency 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G2426-01 2 Corinthians 3:5 ἱκανότης ikanotes N NOM F SG adequacy sufficiency sufficiency
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