a scant improvement

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a scant improvement" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a minimal or slight enhancement in a situation or condition. Example: "After implementing the new strategy, we saw a scant improvement in our sales figures."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

I've tried them all and, while some seem a scant improvement on their forefathers, some are revelatory.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

Nobody likes "elderly"; "senior" and "senior citizen" are a scant improvement over "elderly"; and we can argue til the cows come home exactly what "older person" means.

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

Hence, the proposed change would mean scant improvement in the rules that govern drone strikes.

The New York Times

But the performance bottleneck has been the scant improvement in the speed of finding and transferring the data from the spinning disks — the mechanical side of hard-disk storage.

The New York Times

"In the meeting, it became clear that next year is going to be a transition year and not great, either," said Ms. Ghez, who reduced her earnings expectations for 2001 by 5 cents, to $1.75, which is scant improvement on the $1.65 expected this year.

The New York Times

Several providers of education services to local authorities have not had their contracts renewed after yielding scant improvements.But the boom looks unlikely to end soon.

The Economist

Of course, in this economic environment, in which housing starts are at a record low since the U.S. Commerce Department started tracking them after World War II, and President Obama says 9 million Americans are facing foreclosure, high growth means a scant 0.8% year-over-year improvement, as was the case in Buffalo, according to the National Association of Realtors NARR).

Forbes

(It has a scant soundtrack).

The New York Times

Democrats can point to a scant few.

The New York Times

Stitch, using a scant 1/4 " seam allowance.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

The process lasted a scant nine minutes.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "a scant improvement" when you want to downplay the significance of a positive change, suggesting it's barely noticeable or not substantial. It's suitable when managing expectations or providing a realistic assessment.

Common error

Avoid using "a scant improvement" when the actual change is significant or substantial. This can create a mismatch between your words and the reality, undermining your credibility.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a scant improvement" functions as a noun phrase, where the adjective "scant" modifies the noun "improvement". It serves to describe the extent or degree of the improvement, highlighting its minimal nature. Ludwig examples illustrate this by showing the phrase being used to qualify the degree of progress or change.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

100%

Less common in

Science

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "a scant improvement" is a noun phrase used to describe a minimal or slight positive change. As Ludwig AI confirms, the phrase is grammatically correct and used in written English, particularly in news and media contexts. While semantically positive, it downplays the significance of the change, making it suitable for scenarios where progress is limited or expectations need to be managed. Related phrases, such as "a slight betterment" or "a negligible enhancement", offer similar nuances for describing the degree of improvement.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a slight betterment

Replaces "improvement" with "betterment" emphasizing a minor positive change.

a marginal gain

Focuses on the gain being small and barely noticeable.

a negligible enhancement

Emphasizes that the enhancement is so small it's almost insignificant.

a trivial advance

Highlights that the advancement is of little importance.

a modest step forward

Indicates a small movement in a positive direction.

a minor upgrade

Suggests a small-scale improvement or update.

a limited positive change

Highlights the restricted nature of the positive change.

a minimal progress

Emphasizes the small amount of progress made.

a fractional advancement

Indicates a very small portion of advancement.

a hairline enhancement

Emphasizes the subtlety of the enhancement, almost imperceptible.

FAQs

What does "a scant improvement" mean?

The phrase "a scant improvement" refers to an improvement that is very small, barely noticeable, or almost insignificant.

How can I use "a scant improvement" in a sentence?

You can use "a scant improvement" to describe a situation where there has been some progress, but the change is minimal. For example: "After the new measures were implemented, we observed "a scant improvement" in efficiency."

What are some alternatives to "a scant improvement"?

Some alternatives to "a scant improvement" include "a slight betterment", "a marginal gain", or "a negligible enhancement".

Is "a scant improvement" positive or negative?

"A scant improvement" is generally positive but suggests that the improvement is so small as to be almost insignificant. It indicates that there has been some progress, but not much.