a significant overhead

USAGE SUMMARY

"a significant overhead" is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
You can use it to describe a large expense or cost associated with a project or an activity. For example: "Launching a new product line involves a significant overhead in development costs."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

26 human-written examples

NetPyNE's metadata can add a significant overhead when gathering.

Yale University

Continually monitoring a DBMS, using a special tool called Workload Classifier, in order to detect changes in the workload type can inevitably impose a significant overhead that may degrade the overall performance of the system.

Data & Knowledge Engineering

One requires better encoding schemes that can trade off signal reliability (i.e., provide resilience against crosstalk noise and other sources of error) with low power (average as well as peak power) and improved performance, without incurring a significant overhead in terms of power, area, and latency of the encoder/decoder circuitry.

On-Chip Communication Architectures System on Chip Interconnect

Clinical trials are a significant overhead, so improving cost control and resource management are key corporate objectives.

Forbes

However, it is associated with a significant overhead since multiple algorithms and techniques should be used.

Journal of Cloud Computing

However, the reliability causes a significant overhead, especially for messages of small sizes.

Journal of Cloud Computing: Advances, Systems and Applications

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

34 human-written examples

Reducing the value of l helps SolarTC k (i) to reflect recent changes in the status of the nodes in a new topology, but it also incurs a very significant overhead.

EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking

We found for a particular scenario involving the database policy engine, that the overheads of policy enforcement were lost in the network variability when clients components connected through a particular wireless network; with a small statistically significant overhead (∼5 ms out of a ∼35 ms operation) for the same scenario where components connected through a particular Ethernet network.

Journal of Internet Services and Applications

More precisely, aggregate queries suffer from a significant time overhead, whereas the overhead that has been measured with map-reduce queries is reasonably low.

Data Science and Engineering

Likewise neighbour discovery via Hello messages can be a source of significant overhead, additional contention and collisions.

Journal of Internet Services and Applications

Therefore, the disadvantage is that the overhead rises as the network size increases, a significant communication overhead within a larger network topology.

Human-centric Computing and Information Sciences

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When discussing project management or resource allocation, clearly quantify "a significant overhead" with specific figures or percentages to provide a concrete understanding of its impact.

Common error

Avoid using "a significant overhead" as a vague descriptor. Always provide context and, if possible, data to demonstrate why the overhead is indeed significant. Otherwise, the statement lacks impact and credibility.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a significant overhead" functions as a noun phrase, typically serving as the subject or object of a sentence. Ludwig AI's analysis of example usages confirms its role in denoting a considerable burden or cost associated with a process or activity.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

Science

60%

News & Media

20%

Formal & Business

20%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "a significant overhead" is a grammatically sound and commonly used phrase that effectively conveys the presence of a substantial burden or cost. Ludwig AI's analysis confirms its usage across diverse fields like science, news, and business. When employing this phrase, providing specific details to substantiate the significance of the overhead is crucial for clarity and impact. Alternatives such as "a considerable burden" or "a substantial cost" can be used for stylistic variation. Overall, understanding the context and providing quantifiable evidence will help you wield this phrase effectively.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a considerable burden

Replaces 'overhead' with 'burden', focusing on the weight or difficulty imposed.

a substantial cost

Substitutes 'overhead' with 'cost', emphasizing the financial aspect.

a major expense

Replaces 'significant overhead' with 'major expense' focusing on financial implications and scale.

a notable complication

Uses 'complication' instead of 'overhead', highlighting the complexity added.

a heavy tax

Emphasizes the burdensome aspect, similar to a financial levy.

a sizable encumbrance

Replaces "overhead" focusing on the idea of burden or impediment.

a large administrative cost

Focuses specifically on administrative aspects of the cost.

a marked inefficiency

Highlights the inefficiency resulting from the overhead.

a critical impediment

Replaces 'overhead' with 'impediment', emphasizing the obstruction it creates.

an important consideration

Shifts focus to the need to consider the overhead, rather than the overhead itself.

FAQs

How can I effectively illustrate the impact of "a significant overhead" in a report?

Use concrete examples and data. For instance, state: "The new regulatory requirements introduced "a significant overhead", increasing operational costs by 15% and delaying project timelines by two months."

What are some alternatives to saying "a significant overhead" that still convey the same meaning?

You can use alternatives like "a considerable burden", "a substantial cost", or "a major expense" depending on the specific context.

Is it appropriate to use "a significant overhead" in formal business communication?

Yes, it is appropriate. The phrase is widely understood and accepted in formal and professional contexts. However, ensure you provide sufficient context and justification for why the overhead is considered significant.

What's the difference between "a significant overhead" and "a minor overhead"?

"A significant overhead" implies a substantial cost, burden, or complication that noticeably impacts a project or operation. "A minor overhead", conversely, suggests a smaller, less impactful cost or complication.