a maximum sum

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a maximum sum" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when referring to the highest possible total or amount in a given context, such as finance or mathematics. Example: "The budget for the project is set at a maximum sum of $50,000 to ensure we stay within our financial limits."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

11 human-written examples

First, that prospective contestants were falsely led to believe that they might be eligible to win prizes upon payment of $3 as a maximum sum when in reality the minimum requirement was $9, and as it later developed they were finally called on to pay as much as $42 to be eligible for increased prize offers.

Cornell University

It reaches a maximum sum rate of about 231 bits per channel use, followed by the graph-based technique.

EURASIP Journal on Advances in Signal Processing

Properly, the centralized approach is replaced with the alternating-coordinate technique, which reaches a maximum sum rate of about 257 bits per channel use, followed by the graph-based technique.

EURASIP Journal on Advances in Signal Processing

Further research in [9] presents a distributed uplink power allocation technique based on a maximum sum rate optimisation, yielding superior results in terms of average system throughput, however ignoring the tradeoff between cell-edge performance and overall spectral efficiency.

EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking

A responder (clinical cure) was defined as a patient with none of these three symptoms assessed as "worse than mild" with a maximum sum score of 3. The number of days from start of treatment until the respective symptom was assessed as "not worse than mild" was defined as the duration of each symptom.

Clinical Phytoscience

A maximum sum score of 20 points is, therefore, possible.

BMC Psychiatry

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

49 human-written examples

Each symptom domain score is ordinal (with zero indicating an absence of those symptoms and higher values indicating increasing symptom severity) with maximum values as follows: affective symptoms (maximum score = 58), abnormal perception (12), abnormal belief (41), speech and thought disorder (13), and appearance and behaviour (24); resulting in a maximum summed symptom severity of 148.

BMC Psychiatry

Symptoms are scored using a 4-point category scale as none = 0, mild = 1, moderate = 2 or severe = 3 and summed with a maximum total score of 27.

Plosone

The items are summed with a maximum total score of 115, and higher scores indicate higher quality of recovery.

BMC Nursing

Responses to each question are summed, with a maximum total score of 60 indicating a high level of lower limb stress.

BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders

The scores were summed, for a maximum total of 200 for each group of 40 participants (40X5) and the result was divided by 2 to become a percentage.

BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When setting financial constraints or defining maximum allowable quantities, use "a maximum sum" to clearly communicate the upper boundary of the acceptable amount. For example: "The grant provides a maximum sum of $10,000 for equipment purchases."

Common error

Avoid using "a maximum sum" when referring to things that cannot be expressed numerically. For example, do not say "a maximum sum of effort" - instead, use "utmost effort" or "maximum effort".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a maximum sum" functions as a noun phrase that specifies the highest permissible or attainable total. It is often used in contexts involving limits, budgets, scores or rate, as indicated by Ludwig.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

75%

News & Media

12%

Formal & Business

13%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "a maximum sum" is grammatically correct and functions as a noun phrase specifying an upper limit. Ludwig's AI confirms its usability in written English, particularly in contexts involving quantities. While versatile, it's most common in scientific, news, and business settings, conveying information about constraints or boundaries. For alternative expressions, consider "the upper limit" or "the highest possible total", depending on the context. Be mindful of using it only when referring to numerical quantities, avoiding misuse in abstract contexts.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

the highest possible total

Replaces "sum" with "total" and adds "possible" for emphasis on the limit.

the upper limit

Focuses on the boundary or limit rather than the sum itself.

the greatest possible amount

Substitutes "sum" with "amount" and adds "possible" for emphasis.

the maximum possible total

Combines "maximum" and "possible" to reinforce the idea of an absolute limit.

the peak aggregate value

Uses more formal language; suitable for technical or analytical contexts.

the ceiling amount

Employs "ceiling" as a metaphor for the upper bound.

the largest aggregate

Focuses on the size of the whole, replacing "sum" with aggregate.

the utmost quantity

Uses "utmost" to emphasize the extreme limit of the quantity.

the top-end total

A more informal way to express the maximum amount.

the culminating amount

Suggests the final amount reached after accumulation.

FAQs

How can I use "a maximum sum" in a sentence?

You can use "a maximum sum" to specify an upper limit for a particular quantity or amount. For example: "The project budget allows "a maximum sum" of $5000 for travel expenses".

What phrases are similar in meaning to "a maximum sum"?

Phrases with comparable meanings include "the upper limit", "the highest possible total", or "the greatest possible amount". The best choice depends on the context and desired level of formality.

Is it correct to say "the maximum sum" instead of "a maximum sum"?

While "the maximum sum" isn't incorrect, "a maximum sum" is often used when introducing or specifying a particular upper limit. "The maximum sum" implies there's a previously established or universally understood limit.

What's the difference between "a maximum sum" and "the maximum amount"?

"A maximum sum" specifically refers to a total derived by addition, whereas "the maximum amount" is more general and can refer to any quantity. For example, you might say "a maximum sum" when discussing budget allocations, but "the maximum amount" of rainfall.