almost steadily

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "almost steadily" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when you want to express that something has changed, improved, or happened gradually and consistently, but not perfectly so. For example, "The company's profits have increased almost steadily in the past five years."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

21 human-written examples

The country's absolute emissions have declined almost steadily since 1990, according to national measures.

The New York Times

Officially, the nation's land mass has been shrinking almost steadily ever since 1940.

The New York Times

The Dow, after losing 17.86 points on Tuesday, dropped almost steadily throughout yesterday's session.

The New York Times

He worked almost steadily, but his drinking, which had begun to accelerate in the forties, was getting in the way.

The New Yorker

Born in New York City in 1914, Cohen arrived at Harvard as an undergraduate in 1933 and remained at the University almost steadily until his retirement in 1984.

Harvard University

Then he started to perform whirling reverse moves before another cadence of almost steadily accurate jump shots, and the murmur increased.

The New Yorker

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

39 human-written examples

He produces grounders almost as steadily as a coach tapping them to infielders.

The New York Times - Sports

The number of undergraduate degrees granted has risen almost as steadily as graduate enrollment, with some brief declines following 9/11 and fluctuations in small fields.

Science Magazine

The blocking rate with the Adapt scheme is almost 0 steadily, which is the lowest among all schemes when the incoming connections will always be established regardless of the amount of bandwidth available.

EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking

True, Lucent's stock had fallen steadily almost since her arrival.

The New York Times

Even with its orchards, dairy farms and other wide open spaces, eastern Dutchess County's population has been growing slowly but steadily almost since 1984.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "almost steadily" to accurately convey trends or actions that exhibit a high degree of consistency without being absolutely unwavering. It adds nuance and precision to your writing.

Common error

Avoid using "almost steadily" when the trend or action is highly erratic or inconsistent. It's better to use phrases like "occasionally" or "sporadically" to reflect the true nature of the situation.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "almost steadily" functions as an adverbial modifier, describing how an action or process occurs. It indicates a manner that is largely consistent but not entirely without variation. Ludwig's examples show it modifying verbs like 'declined', 'increased', and 'fallen'.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

68%

Science

23%

Academia

9%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "almost steadily" is a useful adverbial modifier that adds nuance to writing by indicating that something progresses in a consistent manner but with minor deviations. Ludwig AI analysis confirms that the phrase is grammatically correct and common in diverse sources, especially News & Media. While synonyms such as "nearly consistently" or "pretty steadily" exist, "almost steadily" provides a specific degree of qualification. Remember to use it when describing trends or actions exhibiting high consistency without being entirely unwavering.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

nearly consistently

Emphasizes the closeness to consistent behavior or change, suggesting only minor deviations.

almost consistently

Highlights the near-perfect consistency, implying very few exceptions or interruptions.

pretty steadily

Indicates a somewhat consistent manner, adding a touch of informality.

relatively steadily

Suggests a stability relative to other factors or possibilities.

fairly steadily

Indicates a reasonable level of consistency, though not necessarily perfect.

steadily but not perfectly

Explicitly acknowledges the consistency while admitting imperfection.

gradually and almost consistently

Combines gradual change with near-perfect consistency, reinforcing both aspects.

on a generally consistent basis

Expresses consistency as a general trend with the flexibility to accept small deviations.

in a generally consistent manner

Highlights consistency in the approach or method, allowing for situational variations.

more or less steadily

Acknowledges potential minor fluctuations or variations around the steady trend.

FAQs

How can I use "almost steadily" in a sentence?

You can use "almost steadily" to describe something that increases, decreases, or progresses in a largely consistent manner, such as, "The price of gasoline has increased "almost steadily" over the past year".

What's the difference between "almost steadily" and "steadily"?

"Steadily" implies a continuous and consistent progression without interruption, while "almost steadily" suggests only minor deviations or exceptions to that consistent progression.

Are there situations where it's better to use "steadily" instead of "almost steadily"?

If there are no significant interruptions or inconsistencies in the progression, then "steadily" is more appropriate. Use "almost steadily" only when there are minor fluctuations or deviations.

What phrases are similar in meaning to "almost steadily"?

Similar phrases include "nearly consistently", "pretty steadily", or "fairly steadily". The best choice depends on the specific context and the degree of consistency you wish to convey.