a humble contribution

USAGE SUMMARY

'a humble contribution' is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when someone has made a small but meaningful or valuable contribution to something. For example, "The donations received from the local community were a humble contribution, but still greatly appreciated by the charity."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

4 human-written examples

All he wants to offer is a humble contribution to the anthropological record, "an unpublished myth, a new marriage rule, or a complete list of names of clans".

The New York Times - Magazine

Mr. Gyatso, who filled his free moments in her apartment by painting calligraphy, said he had "no regrets in my life because I have made a humble contribution to the Tibetan cause, and to the cause of freedom and nonviolence around the world".

The New York Times

In this context, in order to make a humble contribution to these discussions, this study analysed the past trends of Turkish migration to 31 European countries with an enlarged gravity model by employing four different methods of estimation: OLS, SOLS, Tobit Model and FE.

IZA Journal of Development and Migration

In all these cases, selection of proper amino acid indices is crucial, where this paper also attempts to make a humble contribution.

Amino Acids

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

The International Development Achievement Award 2011 is therefore as much theirs as it is a vindication of my own humble contribution.

The Guardian

Humboldt's "Personal Narrative," Darwin later wrote, "stirred up in me a burning zeal to add even the most humble contribution to the noble structure of Natural Science".

The New York Times - Books

In his autobiography (Barlow 1958), Darwin writes that, along with Humboldt's Narrative, Herschel's Introduction (sic) to the Study of Natural Philosophy, first published in 1830 (Herschel 1987), were the two books that he read at Cambridge that "stirred up in me a burning zeal to add even the most humble contribution to the noble structure of Natural Science".

Evolution: Education and Outreach

After Facebook unveiled Graph Search, my colleague Josh Constine argued that not sharing your likes on Facebook is now a selfish act because you're depriving humanity of your own humble contribution, insights, knowledge, tastes and so on.

TechCrunch

The following findings are my own humble contribution to the cause of their conservation.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

I hoped then that life might offer me the opportunity to serve my people and make my own humble contribution to their freedom struggle.

Independent

By donating to the We Stand Together appeal I hope my humble contribution will go some way to restoring dignity and hope to these brave and stoic people and then to sort out their future.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "a humble contribution", ensure that the context reflects genuine modesty and a recognition of the limited scope of the contribution. Avoid using it sarcastically or in situations where the contribution is clearly significant.

Common error

Avoid using "a humble contribution" when the impact is actually significant or far-reaching. This can create a sense of false modesty and undermine your credibility.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a humble contribution" functions as a noun phrase, typically serving as the object of a verb or preposition. It describes something given or done, emphasizing its modest scale or importance. Ludwig confirms the phrase’s correctness and usability in written English.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

45%

Science

35%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Wiki

5%

Encyclopedias

3%

Reference

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "a humble contribution" is a grammatically sound and acceptable way to describe a contribution while emphasizing its modest scale and expressing humility. As Ludwig AI confirms, it is used to downplay the significance of something given or done. It appears most frequently in news and media contexts, and Ludwig’s examples show its utility in various sentences. To ensure clarity and avoid misinterpretation, consider the context and audience when using this phrase, as overstating its actual impact can lead to insincerity.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a modest offering

Replaces "contribution" with "offering", emphasizing the act of giving something, and "humble" with "modest", implying a lack of pretension.

a small token

Substitutes "contribution" with "token", highlighting the symbolic value of the contribution, and "humble" with "small", denoting size or scale.

a minor addition

Replaces "contribution" with "addition", emphasizing that it adds something, while "minor" suggests that it is small or not particularly important.

a limited input

Changes "contribution" to "input", focusing on what is being provided, with "limited" indicating that it is not extensive.

a tentative submission

Replaces "contribution" with "submission", stressing the act of presenting something for consideration, and "humble" with "tentative", implying uncertainty or hesitation.

a basic share

Substitutes "contribution" with "share", underscoring the idea of having a portion in something, with "basic" indicating that it is not advanced or complex.

a simple part

Changes "contribution" to "part", stressing that it is one component of a whole, and "humble" with "simple", implying a lack of sophistication.

a quiet role

Replaces "contribution" with "role", focusing on the function that someone or something performs, and "humble" with "quiet", implying discretion or lack of prominence.

a gentle influence

Changes "contribution" to "influence", highlighting the effect or impact that someone or something has, and "humble" with "gentle", implying softness or mildness.

an understated effort

Replaces "contribution" with "effort", underlining the energy that is exerted, and "humble" with "understated", implying a lack of exaggeration.

FAQs

How can I use "a humble contribution" in a sentence?

You can use "a humble contribution" to describe something that is small but meaningful or valuable, such as "The donations received from the local community were "a humble contribution", but still greatly appreciated by the charity."

What are some alternatives to "a humble contribution"?

Some alternatives to "a humble contribution" include "a modest offering", "a small token", or "a minor addition", depending on the specific context.

When is it appropriate to use the phrase "a humble contribution"?

It's best to use "a humble contribution" when you genuinely believe that the contribution is small relative to the overall effort or goal, and when you want to convey a sense of modesty and lack of pretension.

What's the difference between "a humble contribution" and "a significant contribution"?

"A humble contribution" implies that the contribution is small or modest in scope, while "a significant contribution" suggests that it has a large impact or is particularly important.