Almost half of

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "Almost half of" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when referring to a quantity that is close to 50% of a whole, often in statistical or descriptive contexts. Example: "Almost half of the participants in the survey reported feeling satisfied with the service."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Almost half of Berliners live on benefits.

The Economist

Almost half of them are over 65.

The Economist

Almost half of Catholics didn't understand Communion.

The New York Times

Almost half of Brazilians are now overweight.

The Guardian - Opinion

"Almost half of Zimbabweans have considered emigrating...," August 15 , 2017

Columbia University

"Almost half of the companies are hardware.

TechCrunch

Almost half of them considered appearance most important.

Sports Medicine - Open

Almost half of patients with hematologic malignancies were in remission.

Annals of Intensive Care

Almost half of them are kids.

Huffington Post

Almost half of colleges front load.

HuffPost

Almost half of them were Trump voters.

HuffPost

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "almost half of" to indicate a quantity that is slightly less than 50% of a whole. It provides a clear and concise way to express approximate proportions.

Common error

Avoid using "almost half of" when the actual proportion is significantly different from 50%. If the quantity is closer to a third or a quarter, use more appropriate terms like "roughly a third" or "approximately a quarter" to maintain accuracy.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "almost half of" functions as a determiner or quantifier, modifying a noun phrase to indicate an approximate proportion close to 50%. Ludwig examples confirm its use in various contexts, such as describing percentages of populations or quantities.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

37%

News & Media

31%

Academia

15%

Less common in

Formal & Business

9%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "almost half of" is a common and grammatically correct way to describe a quantity that is slightly less than 50%. As Ludwig AI indicates, it's widely used across various contexts, including science, news, and academia. When writing, ensure the proportion is reasonably close to 50% to maintain clarity. While alternatives like "nearly half of" or "around half of" can be used, "almost half of" offers a concise and easily understandable approximation.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

Nearly half of

Replaces "almost" with "nearly", offering a very similar degree of approximation.

Around half of

Substitutes "almost" with "around", indicating an approximate quantity.

Approximately half of

Replaces "almost" with "approximately", providing a more formal tone.

Close to half of

Uses "close to" instead of "almost", emphasizing the proximity to 50%.

Just under half of

Specifies that the quantity is slightly less than half.

Slightly less than half of

More explicitly states that the amount is a bit below 50%.

A little under half of

Indicates a small deviation below the halfway mark.

In the vicinity of half of

A more verbose way of saying approximately half.

Half or fewer of

This conveys half or a quantity smaller than half of the total. This phrase indicates that the amount does not exceed half.

A substantial portion of

Conveys that an important part or quantity is being referenced, without specifying how close to half.

FAQs

How can I use "almost half of" in a sentence?

Use "almost half of" to describe a quantity that is slightly less than 50%. For example, "Almost half of the students passed the exam."

What are some alternatives to saying "almost half of"?

You can use alternatives like "nearly half of", "around half of", or "approximately half of" depending on the context.

Is there a difference between "almost half of" and "more than half of"?

"Almost half of" indicates a quantity slightly below 50%, while "more than half of" indicates a quantity greater than 50%. The choice depends on the actual proportion you are describing.

When should I use "almost half of" versus "just under half of"?

"Almost half of" is a general approximation, while "just under half of" emphasizes that the quantity is only slightly less than 50%. Use the latter when the slight difference is significant.