all but null

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "all but null" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe something that is almost completely nonexistent or ineffective, but not entirely so. Example: "The evidence presented was all but null, leaving the jury with little to consider."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

While this explanation remains a possibility, it seems unlikely given that all but null mutations should still respond to artificially increased JH titers compensating for lower expression levels of the receptor.

Plosone

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

Finally, if MATCH FULL is added then ('Smith', NULL) would not match the constraint either, but (NULL, NULL) would still match it.

Wikipedia

But null is not negative.

Dermato-Endocrinology

Red nodes represent those sets that were found to be differentially expressed in all but the double null cell lines, and include the MAP kinase pathway, prostaglandin signaling pathways and several other signaling pathways.

Plosone

Although differences in the onset of apoptosis were observed in the different genotypes, all but p53 p21 cip1 double null remained very sensitive to apoptosis induced by TGFβ.

BMC Cancer

Some but not all null findings may have been due to either relatively low initial levels of distress [ 11] or ceiling effects of the amount of practice [ 11, 47].

Annals of Behavioral Medicine

After you reboot, all the accounts are still there, but they all have null passwords.

WikiHow

Additionally, increased cell death was now detected in all null islets but not in controls (ESM Fig.  6 c h).

Diabetologia

In all but one case, the null model was a single-nucleotide "point substitution" model that was reversible and strand-symmetric (but otherwise fully general).

Plosone

All but one of the null studies [ 13] considered either the amount of time menopausal [ 12, 14, 16] or age at menopause [ 15, 17- 19] as a covariate to control for the effects of menopause on testosterone levels.

Breast Cancer Research

Two matrices are declared as "unrelated" when that is the best fit of all null hypotheses tested, but this result does not preclude the existence of any similarities between them [ 14].

BMC Evolutionary Biology

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "all but null" to emphasize that something is so close to being completely absent or ineffective that it can be treated as such for practical purposes.

Common error

Avoid using "all but null" when you mean something is completely null. The phrase implies a near-complete absence or ineffectiveness, not total absence.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "all but null" functions as an adjectival modifier, emphasizing the degree to which something approaches a state of nothingness or ineffectiveness. Ludwig AI indicates the phrase is correct and usable in written English.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

35%

News & Media

33%

Wiki

10%

Less common in

Formal & Business

8%

Encyclopedias

7%

Reference

7%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "all but null" is a grammatically correct and commonly used expression to describe something nearly nonexistent or ineffective. Ludwig AI confirms its validity and utility in various contexts. It functions as an adjectival modifier, primarily used in neutral registers across science, news, and wiki sources. When using this phrase, ensure that you intend to convey a near-complete absence rather than a total one, and consider alternatives like "virtually nonexistent" or "practically zero" for similar emphasis.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

virtually nonexistent

Emphasizes the near absence of something, focusing on its lack of practical existence.

practically zero

Highlights the minimal quantity or effect, almost equal to zero.

almost ineffective

Focuses on the lack of desired outcome or impact.

as good as nothing

Expresses the insignificance or worthlessness of something.

tantamount to zero

Suggests equivalence to zero in effect or value, often in a more formal context.

next to nothing

Indicates a very small amount or degree.

for all intents and purposes, null

States that something can be considered null in a practical sense.

virtually void

Similar to "virtually nonexistent", emphasizing the lack of legal or practical effect.

effectively absent

Highlights the practical absence of something, even if it technically exists.

in essence, null

Indicates that the fundamental nature of something is null.

FAQs

How can I use "all but null" in a sentence?

You can use "all but null" to describe something that is nearly nonexistent or ineffective. For example: "The chances of success were "virtually nonexistent", making the effort "almost ineffective"."

What is a synonym for "all but null"?

Synonyms for "all but null" include "virtually nonexistent", "practically zero", and "almost ineffective".

Is it correct to say something is "all but null" if it's completely absent?

No, "all but null" implies a near-complete absence, not total absence. If something is completely absent, it's more accurate to say it is completely null or nonexistent.

What's the difference between "all but null" and "completely null"?

"All but null" suggests something is very close to being nothing, whereas "completely null" means it is entirely nothing. The former implies a slight possibility or trace remains, while the latter does not.