approximately successful

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "approximately successful" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a situation or outcome that is close to being successful but not entirely so. Example: "The project was approximately successful, meeting most of its goals but falling short in a few key areas."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

The studies either do not check for skew before embarking on their research, using linear regression [ 12, 13], or the techniques used to counter the problem are of questionable value, e.g. Jonas et al [ 9] used logistic regression on a binomial split of their data and Smith et al. [ 5] applied a linear regression model to logged LoS that they describe as being "approximately" successful.

BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

When I powered it up again, waiting my turn at the X-ray scanners with which customs officers prevent alcohol from being smuggled into Pakistan (the war on booze being approximately as successful in our country as the war on drugs is in the U.S ., there were already several B.B.M. messages suggesting that the Ambassador's killing was related to the film "Innocence of Muslims".

The New Yorker

Our date showed that the transfection was approximately 80% successful (Figure 4 A).

Plosone

Each subject provided approximately 192 successful segments of 5-min HRV measurements for further data analysis.

Environmental Health Perspectives

Approximately 800 successful laser capture firings were made from the spinal cord and 800 from the OM nucleus of each case (supplementary figure 1).

Acta Neuropathologica

Investigators explained the following key information to the patient and her family before the mother made a decision: (1) The standard MTCT prevention method is to administer HBIg and vaccine on time, which have approximately 90% successful rates.

Hepatology

While such strategies were somewhat successful (approximately 70% correct) and can provide a preliminary representation of a problem before more abstract concepts are applied, in a number of contexts they can also take more time and be overall less accurate than formal strategies.

Cognitive Research: Principles and Implications

Similarly to the BL condition, the error varied about a mean position of 0 over a range of approximately ±7°.This indicates successful performance of the one-back task.

Plosone

4, 9 Clinical trials have demonstrated the ability of bupropion to approximately double the successful quit rate compared to no therapy.

ClinicoEconomics and Outcomes Research

The SSS cost approximately £950 per successful 1‐year quitter based on the total cost of SSS between April 2002 and March 2010 34 and number of biochemically verified 4‐week quitters using SSS and the proportion expected to relapse after 1 year 35.

Addiction

For those for whom conservative treatment is insufficient or who are noncompliant, surgery is successful in approximately 60 to 90 percent of cases.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "approximately successful", consider quantifying the degree of success for greater clarity. For example, specify that a treatment is "approximately 80% successful".

Common error

Avoid using "approximately successful" when the outcome is demonstrably a failure. Instead, acknowledge the lack of success directly and explain the reasons for it.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "approximately successful" functions as a compound adjective modifying a noun. It describes the degree to which something achieves its intended outcome. As confirmed by Ludwig, it is considered correct to use.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

Science

65%

News & Media

15%

Wiki

10%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

5%

Formal & Business

3%

Reference

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "approximately successful" is a common and grammatically correct way to describe something that has achieved a degree of success but is not completely successful. As Ludwig AI confirms, it is usable in written English and can be helpful to clarify when an outcome is close to being successful but has not fully met its goals. It's important to consider the context and quantify the level of success for increased clarity, while avoiding its use when describing outright failures. Alternatives like "somewhat successful", "partially successful", and "nearly successful" can also be used to convey similar meanings, offering nuances in the degree and type of success achieved.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

somewhat successful

Replaces "approximately" with "somewhat", indicating a slightly less precise degree of success.

partially successful

Emphasizes that only a portion of the effort or goal was achieved.

nearly successful

Highlights the closeness to achieving complete success.

almost successful

Similar to "nearly successful", indicating a very close margin to success.

reasonably successful

Suggests that the level of success is acceptable or satisfactory.

moderately successful

Indicates a middle ground in terms of the degree of success.

relatively successful

Frames the success in comparison to other attempts or expectations.

largely successful

Implies that the majority of the effort resulted in success.

pretty successful

An informal way of saying "quite successful" or "somewhat successful".

generally successful

Suggests success is true most of the time or in most aspects.

FAQs

What does "approximately successful" mean?

The phrase "approximately successful" means that something has achieved a level of success but is not entirely or completely successful. It suggests a partial or near success.

What can I say instead of "approximately successful"?

You can use alternatives like "somewhat successful", "partially successful", or "nearly successful" depending on the context.

Is it better to say "approximately successful" or "almost successful"?

Both "approximately successful" and "almost successful" are acceptable, but they convey slightly different meanings. "Approximately successful" implies a quantifiable degree of success, while "almost successful" suggests a close call.

In what contexts is "approximately successful" commonly used?

The phrase "approximately successful" is commonly used in scientific, technical, and business contexts to describe outcomes that have achieved a reasonable degree of success without being perfect.