Sufficient Condition
LSAT glossary · Logical Reasoning
Definition
In a conditional statement P → Q, the sufficient condition is the trigger (P) — the term whose truth alone guarantees the result. If the sufficient condition is met, the necessary condition must follow; this is the valid inference Modus Ponens. Crucially, a sufficient condition is not the only way to produce the result: other conditions may also be sufficient. Mistaking a sufficient condition for a necessary one ("only college guarantees success, so success requires college") is one of the most frequently tested LSAT flaws.
Sufficient Condition in plain English
A sufficient condition is the trigger — the thing that, all by itself, is ENOUGH to guarantee a result. In "if you score 90, you get an A," scoring 90 is sufficient: hit it and the A is locked in. But here's the catch the LSAT hammers on: sufficient does NOT mean it's the ONLY way — maybe extra credit could also earn you an A. So being sufficient means "enough to guarantee it," not "required for it." Confusing these two is a classic mistake, like assuming that because winning the lottery makes you rich, everyone who's rich must have won the lottery.
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