almost never true

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "almost never true" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a situation or statement that is rarely accurate or valid. Example: "The claim that he always arrives on time is almost never true."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

15 human-written examples

Watch out when someone says "unprecedented". It's almost never true.

The Washington Post

"We have no choice" is the definitive Donald Trump phrase in another way: it is almost never true.

The New Yorker

Suppose what was almost never true, Marx said: that the economy was not growing at all — that it might be conceived as a fixed bowl of soup.

The New Yorker

Suppose what was almost never true, Marx said: that the economy was not growing at all that it might be conceived as a fixed bowl of soup.

The New Yorker

He notes that a striking number of American colonists ran off to join Native American societies, but the reverse was almost never true.

The New York Times - Books

Why did you choose job X? Why did you move to university Y? Implicit in these questions is, of course, the path not travelled: why did you do X, but not Y or Z? It's almost never true that there was "nothing else"; it's more likely the other options were unpalatable and/or unfeasible.

The Guardian

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

45 human-written examples

Because cloning predictions almost never come true.

The New York Times - Science

The craftsman has to understand that these distant fantasies almost never come true.

The New York Times

Rule two: journalists almost never say, "True figures could be up, could be down, could be the same.

The Guardian - Opinion

The history of in vitro fertilization demonstrates not only how easily the public will accept new technology once it's demonstrated to be safe, but also that the nightmares predicted during its development almost never come true.

The New York Times

Yet, from a purely economic standpoint, it will almost never be true that a perfectly balanced budget or, for that matter, any one, fixed target for government accounts will be the best solution.That has not stopped America from considering a new balanced-budget act, or the European Commission from decreeing that the budget deficits of its members must not exceed 3% of their respective GDPs.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "almost never true", ensure the context implies a less than 50% chance of being accurate. Consider stronger alternatives if you mean 'completely false'.

Common error

Avoid using "almost never true" when you actually mean 'completely false'. The phrase implies a slight possibility of truth, which can dilute your message.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "almost never true" functions as an adverbial modifier specifying the degree to which something is not true. Ludwig examples show its use in qualifying statements, expressing that something is generally inaccurate but not entirely false. This aligns with Ludwig's assertion that the phrase is grammatically correct.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Science

20%

Academia

13.33%

Less common in

Formal & Business

6.67%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "almost never true" is a grammatically correct and commonly used phrase that expresses a high degree of infrequency or inaccuracy, without implying absolute falsehood. As Ludwig AI confirms, the phrase functions as an adverbial modifier, adding skepticism and nuance to statements. While primarily found in news, media and scientific publications, it can also be appropriately used across a range of contexts, but be aware of the degree of negativity that you want to express and choose stronger alternatives if the intended meaning is 'completely false'.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

hardly ever true

Emphasizes the rarity of truthfulness.

virtually never true

Uses "virtually" to strengthen the sense of infrequency.

rarely accurate

Focuses on the lack of accuracy rather than frequency.

seldom correct

Highlights the infrequency of being correct.

mostly untrue

Indicates that the statement is generally not true.

scarcely truthful

Emphasizes the rare occurrence of truth.

not often the case

Shifts the focus to the infrequency of a situation.

infrequently valid

Highlights the lack of validity.

largely false

Implies a significant degree of untruth.

rarely the reality

Focuses on the discrepancy between the statement and actual reality.

FAQs

How can I use "almost never true" in a sentence?

You can use "almost never true" to express that something is rarely accurate. For example, "The rumor that he's retiring is "almost never true"".

What can I say instead of "almost never true"?

You can use alternatives like "rarely accurate", "hardly ever true", or "mostly untrue" depending on the context.

Which is correct, "almost never true" or "never true"?

"Almost never true" implies a slight possibility of being true, whereas "never true" means it is always false. The choice depends on the specific meaning you want to convey.

What's the difference between "almost never true" and "not always true"?

"Almost never true" suggests a low probability of being true. "Not always true" simply means it is sometimes false but could also be frequently true. The degree of infrequency differs significantly.