an underlying risk

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "an underlying risk" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when discussing potential dangers or vulnerabilities that are not immediately obvious but may affect a situation or outcome. Example: "Investing in emerging markets carries an underlying risk that investors should be aware of."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

13 human-written examples

Results reveal an underlying risk of 73 failures in CFB efficiency per 10,000 operations.

Chemical Engineering Science

Haiman et al genotyped six variants in 1,124 individuals with invasive CRC and 4,573 controls that had been previously identified as having an underlying risk for prostate cancer due to alterations on 8q24 [10] and found that one variant, rs6983267, was also significantly associated with colorectal cancer [4].

Plosone

"Mortgage costs have fallen significantly from pre-crisis levels, but this positive effect is laced with an underlying risk," said Khalaf.

The Guardian - Money

GUARENTE: I would just point out that Alzheimer's would be in the group of diseases that has aging as an underlying risk factor, so being able to manipulate the aging process, I think, would also have implications for Alzheimer's.

The New York Times - Magazine

This may sound fairly high, until you realize that heritability refers only to an underlying risk of depression, not to depression itself.

The New York Times

We are insuring an average experience in a given area related to an underlying risk, hence the index-based insurance.

Science Magazine

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

47 human-written examples

In other words, those patients using a bisphosphonate and a PPI likely had a greater underlying risk of an adverse GI event compared to those persons using a bisphosphonate alone; this would account for the observed increase in UGIB risk for concurrent users of the drugs [ 19].

BMC Geriatrics

Women who accept the invitation to screening (attenders) may have an a priori better health status (and a lower underlying risk of dying from breast cancer) compared with women who do not (non-attenders), and therefore are less likely to die from the disease.

BMC Cancer

There's a real underlying risk you have to understand.

The New York Times

Eighty percent of confirmed cases had a known underlying risk condition, most commonly asthma (40% of confirmed cases) [1]. Figure 1 Laboratory-confirmed H1N1 hospital admissions and emergency department visits for influenza-like illnesses in NYC. 26 April to 10 June 2009.

Critical Ultrasound Journal

This suggests that those who opt out of screening altogether are at a lower underlying risk of cervical cancer than those who are screened occasionally.

British Journal of Cancer

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "an underlying risk", clearly identify the specific risk and its potential consequences to ensure your audience understands the full scope of the issue. For example: "The project carries an underlying risk of cost overruns if material prices increase unexpectedly."

Common error

Avoid using "an underlying risk" when the risk is already apparent. Instead, use it to highlight hidden or less obvious potential problems that might otherwise be overlooked.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "an underlying risk" functions as a noun phrase, typically serving as the subject or object of a sentence to identify a potential hazard or vulnerability. Ludwig examples show that the phrase is often used to highlight risks that are not immediately apparent.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

42%

News & Media

33%

Formal & Business

25%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "an underlying risk" serves to highlight potential dangers that are not immediately obvious, functioning as a noun phrase typically used to inform or warn. Ludwig AI confirms that the phrase is grammatically correct and usable in written English. Although "an underlying risk" may not be very common, it is mostly used in scientific, news media, and formal business contexts, signaling a neutral to formal register. It is essential to use the phrase to specify potentially hidden risks. Remember to consider more direct and specific descriptions if the risks are explicit or to use other phrases like "a latent risk" or "a hidden danger" for similar connotations.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a latent risk

Replaces "underlying" with "latent", emphasizing the hidden or dormant nature of the risk.

a hidden danger

Substitutes "risk" with "danger", which is a more direct and alarming term.

a concealed threat

Uses "concealed" instead of "underlying" and "threat" instead of "risk", highlighting the secretive and menacing nature of the potential problem.

a lurking peril

Replaces "underlying risk" with a more evocative term "lurking peril", suggesting something dangerous is present but not obvious.

an inherent vulnerability

Replaces "risk" with "vulnerability" shifting the focus to a weakness or susceptibility that exists by nature.

a systemic weakness

Focuses on a flaw within a larger system as the root cause of the potential issue.

a fundamental problem

Shifts the focus from risk to a basic issue, which can cause a potential risk.

an unacknowledged hazard

Emphasizes that the risk exists but has not been recognized or admitted.

a built-in hazard

Highlights the unavoidable and inherent nature of a dangerous situation or condition.

a potential downside

Offers a more casual and less alarming way to express a possibility of a bad outcome.

FAQs

How can I use "an underlying risk" in a sentence?

You can use "an underlying risk" to describe a potential danger that is not immediately obvious. For example: "The company's rapid expansion carries an underlying risk of overextension."

What phrases are similar to "an underlying risk"?

Similar phrases include "a latent risk", "a hidden danger", and "a concealed threat".

Is it better to say "an underlying problem" or "an underlying risk"?

The choice depends on the context. "An underlying problem" refers to a fundamental issue, while "an underlying risk" points to a potential danger stemming from a specific cause or condition. If the issue can potentially cause harm, an underlying risk may be the better choice.

When is it not appropriate to use the phrase "an underlying risk"?

It's less appropriate when the risk is already obvious or explicitly stated. In such cases, a more direct and specific description of the risk might be more effective. If the risk has already occurred consider using 'the root cause'.