a significant length

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a significant length" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a measurement or duration that is notably long or considerable in size or time. Example: "The project took a significant length of time to complete, far exceeding our initial estimates."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

41 human-written examples

Coach Tom Renney said he believed Straka would be out a significant length of time.

The New York Times - Sports

The action will affect the company's online services and its Friday, Saturday and Sunday newspapers, a significant length of time for a staff walkout.

The Guardian

The report called on the state to find more permanent solutions, "where potentially hazardous infrastructure issues are likely to remain unaddressed for a significant length of time".

The New York Times

This situation may change if you are staying in any one country for a significant length of time, seeking employment, or undertaking studies there.

Independent

C4 said it was too early to say whether a second series of the show would be commissioned, or indeed if Morris - who rarely sticks with any one project for a significant length of time - would be interested in making one.

The Guardian

And, as happened in Dr. Thompson's experiments, the cyclists beat their best times, finishing with a burst of speed that carried them to virtual victory by a significant length.

The New York Times - Health

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

19 human-written examples

It was found that both the ductility and fracture mode of the NMFs were predominantly related to the constraining effect of ductile Cu layers on microcrack-initiating X layers, which showed a significant length-scale dependence on λ and η.

Acta Materialia

The most abundant such transcript (BpA0604) is more than 1700 nt in length but lacks an ORF of significant length; it includes a tandem array of ten 68 nt repeats with an average pairwise identity of 95%.

Plosone

The orthologous sequence pairs for a protein sequence with significant length coverage only were considered for the analysis.

BMC Genomics

The error rates for E-E, E-I, and I-I were 0.52%, 5.2%, and 5.7% for length 2, and 3.1%, 8.9%, and 4.2% for length 3. A two-way ANOVA for the three representations and two column lengths showed a non-significant interaction, a non-significant length effect, but a significant representation effect (F 2, 44) = 6.08, p<0.01).

Plosone

The strong signal was expected to contain short 17 25 nt sequences that exhibited a stable 5'-end and significant length heterogeneity at the 3'-end.

Plosone

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "a significant length", ensure the context clearly indicates whether you are referring to time or spatial dimension.

Common error

Avoid using "significant" too frequently in your writing. Vary your word choice by using alternatives like "considerable", "substantial", or "notable" to maintain reader engagement.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a significant length" functions as an adjectival phrase modifying a noun (either explicit or implied). It quantifies the noun, indicating that it possesses a considerable or notable extent. Ludwig AI confirms its correct and usable nature in written English.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

Science

48%

News & Media

38%

Wiki

9%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "a significant length" is a grammatically correct and commonly used expression that denotes a considerable duration or extent. As confirmed by Ludwig AI, it's suitable for describing both temporal and spatial dimensions. It appears most frequently in scientific and news-related contexts, indicating a neutral register. While numerous alternatives exist, such as "a considerable duration" or "a substantial period", it's crucial to select a substitute that accurately reflects the intended meaning and context. When using this phrase, ensure the context clarifies whether you refer to time or physical length. Furthermore, be mindful of overusing "significant" in your writing and seek varied word choices to improve engagement.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a considerable duration

Replaces "length" with "duration", focusing on the time aspect.

a substantial period

Substitutes "significant" with "substantial" and "length" with "period", both implying a notable amount of time.

an extensive period of time

Uses "extensive" to emphasize the duration and includes "of time" for clarity.

a noteworthy amount of time

Emphasizes the importance of the time involved.

a prolonged duration

Replaces "significant" with "prolonged", highlighting the extended nature.

a remarkable duration

Emphasizes the impressiveness of the length.

an appreciable length

Uses "appreciable" to suggest that the length is easily noticed or measured.

a sizable extent

Shifts focus to spatial dimension by using "extent" instead of "length".

a considerable distance

Focuses specifically on physical distance, replacing "length" with "distance".

a long stretch

An idiomatic alternative to the original phrase, implying considerable duration or distance.

FAQs

How can I use "a significant length" in a sentence?

You can use "a significant length" to describe either a distance or duration that is notably long. For example: "The bridge spans "a significant length"" or "The study required "a significant length" of time to complete".

What are some alternatives to "a significant length"?

Depending on the context, you can use alternatives like "a considerable duration", "a substantial period", or "an extensive period of time".

Is it more appropriate to use "a significant length of time" or "a significant amount of time"?

Both are acceptable, but "a significant length of time" is often used when emphasizing the duration in a more formal context, whereas "a significant amount of time" is more general.

Can "a significant length" refer to something other than time or distance?

While primarily used for time and distance, ""a significant length"" can also be used metaphorically to describe the extent or scope of something, although this usage is less common.