a minor overhead

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a minor overhead" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to refer to a small or insignificant additional cost or burden associated with a task or project. Example: "Implementing the new software will incur a minor overhead, but the benefits will outweigh the costs."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

60 human-written examples

Mr. Snydacker said that last year's sale earned more than $150,000 after deducting comparatively minor overhead like renting the tent.

The New York Times

Time spent on loading the data sets and some other minor overhead was excluded.

Biomedical Optics Express

It is best for the N.F.L. because the league would just as soon do nothing to upset its sweetheart deal with the college football programs, which give it a minor league without overhead.

The New York Times - Sports

EclipseLink has only a minor write and read overhead of respectively 2.5 and 3.6%, which can be explained by considering that the absolute overhead remains more or less constant, while the baseline latency does increase.

Journal of Internet Services and Applications

As expected, the communication overheads have a minor effect in the global processing time, and hence, the performance of the proposed algorithms is very close to the theoretical speedup.

EURASIP Journal on Advances in Signal Processing

In a dark, dank nightclub beneath some railway arches, with the clatter and chug of trains overhead, I am having a minor Proustian moment.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

Since the company now has to support an expensive staff — overhead costs increase with size — even a minor disturbance can lead to significant losses.

The New York Times - Magazine

The overhead associated with the object-oriented implementation has only a minor effect on performance.

Computer Physics Communications

These two processes are computationally intensive and the overhead required to distribute the data to the worker nodes remains a minor part of the total time.

GigaScience

"I'm a minor".

The New York Times

First, a minor quibble.

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When discussing project costs, use "a minor overhead" to acknowledge small, often unavoidable expenses that contribute to the overall budget. This shows transparency and attention to detail.

Common error

Avoid using "a minor overhead" when the costs are, in fact, substantial. This can mislead stakeholders and damage credibility. Ensure the adjective accurately reflects the magnitude of the expense.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a minor overhead" functions as a noun phrase, where 'minor' modifies 'overhead', indicating a small or insignificant indirect cost or expense. Ludwig suggests that the phrase is grammatically correct and usable.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

33%

News & Media

33%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Wiki

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "a minor overhead" describes a small or insignificant additional cost or burden, as validated by Ludwig. While grammatically sound, its usage is relatively rare. It is most commonly found in scientific and news contexts. When using this phrase, ensure that the expense is genuinely minor to avoid misleading stakeholders. Consider using alternatives like "slight additional cost" or "small incidental expense" for clarity or to suit the specific context. Ludwig AI confirms its validity, yet urges careful application to maintain transparency and credibility.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

slight additional cost

Replaces 'overhead' with a more direct term for cost and uses 'slight' instead of 'minor'.

small incidental expense

Substitutes 'overhead' with 'incidental expense' to emphasize the unexpected nature and uses 'small' instead of 'minor'.

minimal additional burden

Replaces 'overhead' with 'burden', focusing on the effort or difficulty aspect and uses 'minimal' instead of 'minor'.

negligible supplementary charge

Uses more formal vocabulary, replacing 'minor' with 'negligible' and 'overhead' with 'supplementary charge'.

modest extra outlay

Replaces 'overhead' with 'outlay', highlighting the financial aspect and uses 'modest' instead of 'minor'.

limited incremental cost

Uses 'incremental cost' to refer to the increasing cost and 'limited' instead of 'minor'.

inconsequential added expense

Emphasizes the insignificance of the cost using 'inconsequential' instead of 'minor' and replacing 'overhead' with 'added expense'.

marginal supplementary fee

Uses 'marginal' to denote a small change and 'supplementary fee' to specify the type of cost.

small operational cost

Focuses on the cost related to operations by using "operational cost" instead of "overhead".

a bit of extra admin

Colloquial phrasing replacing 'overhead' with 'extra admin', focusing on the administrative aspect and using 'a bit of' instead of 'minor'.

FAQs

How can I use "a minor overhead" in a sentence?

You can use "a minor overhead" to describe a small additional cost or burden associated with a project or task. For example, "Implementing this feature will add "a minor overhead" to the project budget".

What's a good alternative to "a minor overhead"?

Alternatives include "slight additional cost", "small incidental expense", or "minimal additional burden", depending on the specific context.

Is it appropriate to use "a minor overhead" in formal writing?

Yes, "a minor overhead" is appropriate for formal writing, but consider using more precise language if possible to enhance clarity. Terms like "negligible supplementary charge" might be suitable in specific situations.

What does "a minor overhead" typically refer to in a business context?

In a business context, "a minor overhead" usually refers to small, indirect costs associated with running a business or completing a project. This could include administrative fees, small equipment purchases, or other incidental expenses.