a seemingly negligible

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a seemingly negligible" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe something that appears to be insignificant or minor at first glance, but may have more importance upon closer examination. Example: "The report highlighted a seemingly negligible error in the calculations that ultimately affected the final results."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

3 human-written examples

An exceptionally high percentage of the population is Asian, with a smaller percentage of Hispanics and a seemingly negligible population of African Americans.

Science Magazine

Taken all together, we have shown in this study that a seemingly negligible decrease in oxygen tension in vivo activates ERK1/2 to up-regulate SUR2A.

Biochimica et Biophysica Acta - General Subjects

In this work we focus on cellular priming effect (also called preconditioning and sensitization) which refers to a well-observed phenomenon that after being treated with a seemingly negligible concentration of stimulus, a cell may launch amplified responses upon a second exposure to the same stimulus at higher concentration [ 10- 12].

BMC Systems Biology

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

In the same spirit Scully somehow convinced entire Yale classes of future lawyers that a designed environment existed and might be worth supporting, and persuaded most of us that a professor of the seemingly negligible field of art history was Yale's greatest modern teacher.

Yale University

This seemingly negligible change has a big impact on the analysis and applicability of the models, as this assumption means that the noise term in [26] becomes asymptotically zero, while in the current work, the noise term is non-negligible.

EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking

However, such seemingly negligible change in oxygen induced a substantial increase in SUR2A in the myocardium (Fig. 2; P = 0.001), while the expression of another KATP channel forming subunit, Kir6.2, was not affected (P = 0.281; Fig. 2).

Biochimica et Biophysica Acta - General Subjects

For true believers, even seemingly negligible details can have profound effects.

The New York Times

Such effect of seemingly negligible change in oxygen has never been previously described.

Biochimica et Biophysica Acta - General Subjects

We have two important observations about these activation energies found in the thin films: the first is related to their comparison to those reported for bulk LSC samples, and the second is related to their seemingly negligible sensitivity to strain.

ACS Nano

It was a seemingly ego-less room.

The New Yorker

What a seemingly crude security system.

The New York Times - Tech

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using the phrase "a seemingly negligible", ensure that the surrounding context prepares the reader for a potential revelation of greater significance. Highlight the contrast between initial appearance and eventual impact.

Common error

Avoid using "a seemingly negligible" when the subject is genuinely insignificant. The strength of the phrase comes from the implied potential for hidden importance. If there is no surprise, opt for simpler terms like "a small" or "a minor".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a seemingly negligible" functions primarily as an adjective phrase, modifying a noun to indicate that it appears insignificant or unimportant. As confirmed by Ludwig AI, this phrase suggests that the actual impact might be greater than initially perceived. This is supported by the examples where seemingly small changes lead to substantial effects.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

40%

News & Media

35%

Academia

25%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "a seemingly negligible" is a useful tool for indicating that something may be more important than it initially appears. As Ludwig AI points out, it's grammatically correct and best used when there's a contrast between initial appearance and eventual impact. While it can be used across different types of writing, the phrase appears more often in scientific, news or academic contexts. When using this phrase, consider replacing it with synonyms such as "an apparently insignificant" or "a superficially minor" for diversity in writing. Remember, the power of "a seemingly negligible" lies in its potential to reveal hidden significance.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

an apparently insignificant

Replaces 'seemingly negligible' with 'apparently insignificant', focusing on the apparent lack of importance.

a superficially minor

Substitutes 'seemingly negligible' with 'superficially minor', highlighting the shallow level of insignificance.

a purportedly trivial

Changes 'seemingly negligible' to 'purportedly trivial', indicating that the triviality is asserted but possibly untrue.

an ostensibly small

Replaces 'seemingly negligible' with 'ostensibly small', suggesting the smallness is presented as fact but may be misleading.

a deceptively small

Emphasizes the potential for the small size to be misleading, unlike 'seemingly negligible' which simply notes the appearance.

a possibly inconsequential

Replaces 'seemingly negligible' with 'possibly inconsequential', focusing on the potential lack of consequence.

a possibly trivial

Similar to "a possibly inconsequential", but with a slightly stronger sense of unimportance.

an apparently trivial

Similar to "an apparently insignificant", but using 'trivial' to underscore the lack of importance.

a superficially trivial

Similar to "a superficially minor", but using 'trivial' to emphasize lack of depth.

a putatively minor

Emphasizes the element of assumption or claim, highlighting how it has been labelled.

FAQs

How can I use "a seemingly negligible" in a sentence?

Use "a seemingly negligible" to describe something that appears unimportant at first but may have significant consequences. For example, "A seemingly negligible error led to a major system failure."

What are some alternatives to "a seemingly negligible"?

Alternatives include "an apparently insignificant", "a superficially minor", or "a possibly trivial" depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is it always necessary to emphasize the potential importance when using "a seemingly negligible"?

While not strictly necessary, the phrase works best when the initial insignificance contrasts with a later revelation of importance. Otherwise, a simpler term like "small" or "minor" might be more appropriate.

What is the difference between "a seemingly negligible" and "a negligible"?

"A seemingly negligible" implies that something appears negligible but may not be, whereas "a negligible" suggests it is genuinely insignificant.