a most common

USAGE SUMMARY

"a most common" is correct and usable in written English.
You might use it to describe something that is very commonly seen or experienced. For example, "Late-night snacking is a most common habit for teenagers."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

58 human-written examples

As explained by a care staff member at Site A: "Most common are just the committing [of]… signage errors.

BMC Geriatrics

If there is a consensus, or a most common response to a reporter seeking further reflection on, or examination of, the once legendary coach, it is this: Penn State is moving on without Joe Paterno.

The New York Times - Sports

A most common disease now a day's is diabetes.

Journal of Big Data

Hyponatremia is a most common electrolyte abnormality seen in Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) patients.

Intensive Care Medicine Experimental

A most common use of pressmud is for fertilizer, in both the unprocessed or processed form.

International Journal of Recycling of Organic Waste in Agriculture

As a most common electrolyte, polyether derivatives have been widely studied for a long time with respect to their ion conductive behavior.

Nanoscale Research Letters

A most common vector concerned is the data error or misfit vector which plays an essential role in the development of inverse methods (Menke 1989).

Petroleum Science

DAS with active aldehyde groups was employed to replace glutaraldehyde (GA), a most common synthetic crosslinking reagent in clinical practice, to fix bioprostheses for lower cytotoxicity.

International Journal of Biological Macromolecules

Tail pipe is a most common structure in mufflers to silence low frequency noise from an engine for its acoustic performance of low-pass filter.

Applied Acoustics

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

2 human-written examples

In the 1831 introduction to Frankenstein, she recalled: "I wrote then but in a most common-place style.

Wikipedia

The co-occurrence of these highly divergent allelic classes gives a significantly positive Tajima's D statistic (Table 1) and results in unusual haplotype structure (Table 2): given the number of segregating sites, there are significantly too few haplotypes and a most-common haplotype that is significantly too common.

BMC Evolutionary Biology

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "a most common", ensure the context clearly defines what is being described as common. Specify the domain or area in which it is prevalent for better clarity.

Common error

Avoid using "a most common" without providing sufficient context. Saying "X is a most common problem" lacks impact unless you specify where or why it is common.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a most common" functions as an adjective phrase modifying a noun. It describes something that is highly prevalent or frequently encountered. Ludwig AI confirms the phrase's usability in written English.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

80%

News & Media

15%

Wiki

5%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "a most common" is used to describe something with high frequency or wide occurrence. Ludwig AI validates its grammatical correctness and usability. It is used across different contexts, but it appears mainly in scientific and news sources. When employing this phrase, ensure that the context provides a clear understanding of what is described as common. Alternatives include phrases like "a very common" and "a highly prevalent", each offering subtle variations in emphasis. Ensure that you provide sufficient context and avoid generalizations for the phrase to be effective.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a very common

Emphasizes the high frequency of occurrence. The degree of commonness is intensified.

a highly prevalent

Focuses on the widespread existence of something, often used in scientific or medical contexts.

a frequently observed

Highlights the regularity with which something is seen or noticed.

a widely recognized

Suggests that something is generally acknowledged or accepted.

a generally accepted

Indicates broad agreement or consensus regarding something.

a typical

Highlights something that conforms to a usual or expected pattern.

a standard

Indicates something that is established as a norm or benchmark.

a usual

Simple synonym, denotes something that is habitually or regularly occurring.

a familiar

Emphasizes that something is well-known or easily recognized.

a run-of-the-mill

Suggests something is ordinary and not exceptional.

FAQs

How can I use "a most common" in a sentence?

Use "a most common" to describe something that occurs frequently or is widely observed. For example, "Diabetes is "a most common" disease nowadays."

What are some alternatives to "a most common"?

You can use phrases like "a very common", "a highly prevalent", or "a frequently observed" depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is it better to say "a most common" or "the most common"?

"A most common" implies one among many frequent occurrences, while "the most common" indicates the single most frequent occurrence. The choice depends on whether you're discussing one of many common things or the single most frequent thing.

What's the difference between "a most common" and "a common"?

"A common" simply means something occurs frequently. "A most common" suggests a higher degree of frequency or prevalence than just "a common" one. The phrase "a most common" places more emphasis on the prevalence.