are basically not

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "are basically not" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to indicate a general or simplified negation of something in a conversational or informal context. Example: "These two products are basically not comparable due to their different features and target audiences."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

22 human-written examples

"Construction firms are basically not allowed to go bust," Mr. Evans said.

The New York Times

"We are basically not saying that he should be destroyed because he will still be coming back into the community".

The Guardian

If the chief executive is not one who is open-minded, culturally curious and willing to embrace these markets, and learn about them, you are basically not going to win in markets like India.

The New York Times

John Kornblum, U.S. ambassador to Germany under Bill Clinton, has pointed to the discrepancy between German interests that are basically not the same as its neighbors' and the Merkel government's self-characterization as "extremely European".

The New York Times

We are basically not in a period of earthquake activity along the Ramapo Fault now, but we can see that about six or seven times in history, about 250 million years ago, it had major earthquake activity.

The New York Times

However, the bottlenecks adopted by the existed scheduling strategies are often partial bottlenecks, local bottlenecks, or even deceptive bottlenecks, which are basically not key constraints to achieve optimal objective, so that the corresponding scheduling strategies are not perfect, and the further improvement and evaluation can hardly be proposed.

Advances in Engineering Software

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

38 human-written examples

This is basically not about his wife".

The New York Times

It's basically not mass-produced.

Independent

"But they're basically not democratic reformers.

The New York Times

Its working memory is basically not working.

The Guardian

But I'm basically not a party man.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "are basically not" to simplify complex negations in everyday language, but consider more precise alternatives for formal writing.

Common error

Avoid using "are basically not" in academic papers or professional reports where precision and formal language are expected. Opt for more specific and sophisticated negations such as "do not effectively", "are not inherently", or a complete restructuring of the sentence to improve clarity and rigor.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "are basically not" functions as a qualifying negation, softening the statement. It suggests something is generally, but perhaps not absolutely, untrue or absent. Ludwig indicates that this is a correct and usable phrase.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

65%

Science

20%

Formal & Business

5%

Less common in

Academia

3%

Encyclopedias

2%

Social Media

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "are basically not" is a grammatically correct and commonly used expression for indicating a simplified or qualified negation. Ludwig's analysis of numerous real-world examples highlights its prevalence in contexts such as News & Media and Science, though it may be less suitable for highly formal or academic writing where greater precision is needed. While it effectively conveys a general absence or lack of something, alternative phrases like "are essentially not" or "are fundamentally not" may provide a more nuanced or emphatic meaning. As Ludwig AI confirms, this expression is a valid and useful tool in everyday communication.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

are essentially not

Emphasizes a more fundamental or inherent lack of something.

are fundamentally not

Indicates a deep, underlying incompatibility or absence.

are effectively not

Focuses on the outcome or result being the same as if something didn't exist.

are virtually not

Suggests that something is so close to not existing that it effectively doesn't.

are practically not

Highlights that something may technically exist but is not useful or effective.

are largely not

Indicates that something is mostly absent, but with minor exceptions.

are primarily not

Suggests the most important aspect is a negation.

do not really

Uses "really" to soften the negation.

are hardly

Indicates that something barely exists or occurs.

are almost never

Emphasizes the infrequency of an occurrence.

FAQs

How can I use "are basically not" in a sentence?

You can use "are basically not" to express a simple negation or absence of something. For example, "These instructions are basically not clear enough to follow."

What can I say instead of "are basically not"?

You can use alternatives like "are essentially not", "are fundamentally not", or "are effectively not" depending on the context.

Is "are basically not" too informal for academic writing?

Yes, "are basically not" is generally considered too informal for academic writing. Use more precise and formal alternatives such as "do not effectively", "are not inherently", or rephrase the sentence for clarity.

Which is more emphatic, "are basically not" or "are fundamentally not"?

"Are fundamentally not" is more emphatic than "are basically not", as it suggests a deeper and more inherent negation. The former indicates a core incompatibility, while the latter implies a simplified or general absence.