are potentially lost

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "are potentially lost" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when discussing the possibility of something being lost or not retained, often in contexts related to data, opportunities, or resources. Example: "If the backup fails, important files are potentially lost, which could impact our project timeline."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

4 human-written examples

We thus predicted, under the beekeeping activity: i) a reduction in the complexity of the plant-pollinator web, quantifiable as a decrease in connectance (C), diversity of interactions (H'), and linkage density (LD), since some species and interactions are potentially lost through resource competition.

Nature

However, when combined with fractionation, the number of additional proteins identified after depletion of albumin far outweighs the number of proteins that are potentially lost.

Breast Cancer Research

In terms of soil health, the burning of biomass is detrimental, besides loss of soil organic carbon, in each tonne of rice straw burnt, 5.5 kg Nitrogen, 2.3 kg phosphorus, 25 kg potassium and 1.2 kg of Sulphur are potentially lost.

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

The validation of the two points above will, in our opinion, demonstrate that e-CCC-Biclustering is not only able to recover genes with approximate expression patterns, that are potentially lost when only perfect expression patterns are considered, but also that the recovered genes are, in fact, biologically relevant to the problem under study.

Algorithms for Molecular Biology

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

If the competition isn't open, they are potentially losing out.

The Guardian - Business

The rights holders are claiming it is not robust enough and they are potentially losing millions as a result.

The Guardian - Opinion

"Logic dictates when you are potentially losing as many as a half a million bats in this region, there are going to be ramifications for insect abundance in the coming summer," Mr. Darling, the Vermont wildlife biologist, said.

The New York Times - Science

Its surveys show that pupils are potentially losing up to an hour of learning each day in English schools due to low-level disruption, which is equivalent to 38 days of teaching per year.

The Guardian

Weed's not such a worry (though the government are potentially losing out on billions by not opening their own shops), but the harder drugs are.

Vice

The implications of this are that association studies using heterogeneous samples are potentially losing information on age-specific effects of genotype on ADHD.

BMC Psychiatry

Childhood memory is often indelible, but historical memory is potentially lost with every new child.

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "are potentially lost", ensure the context clearly indicates what could be lost and the conditions that might lead to the loss. This enhances clarity and avoids ambiguity.

Common error

Avoid using "are potentially lost" without clearly defining what is at risk. For example, instead of saying "Data are potentially lost", specify "Customer data are potentially lost due to a server malfunction." This provides essential context.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "are potentially lost" functions as a descriptive phrase, indicating a state of possible loss. Ludwig provides examples demonstrating its use in various contexts, such as describing potentially lost data or resources.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

50%

News & Media

37%

Academia

13%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "are potentially lost" is grammatically correct and used to describe the possibility of something being irretrievable. Ludwig AI examples show it frequently appears in scientific, academic, and news contexts. Alternatives include ""could be lost"" or ""may be lost"", but it's important to specify what is at risk to avoid ambiguity. When incorporating this phrase into your writing, clarity is key to ensure your message is well-understood.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

could be lost

Replaces "potentially" with "could be", indicating a possibility.

may be lost

Substitutes "potentially" with "may be", suggesting a similar level of uncertainty.

might be lost

Uses "might be" instead of "are potentially", offering a slightly less formal tone.

are at risk of being lost

Emphasizes the risk aspect of the loss, adding a sense of vulnerability.

could potentially disappear

Replaces "lost" with "disappear", highlighting the complete removal of something.

are in danger of being lost

Focuses on the danger or threat leading to the potential loss.

are liable to be lost

Indicates a higher probability of loss compared to "potentially".

face potential loss

Shifts the focus to the entity experiencing the potential loss.

stand to be lost

Implies a consequence or result of a current situation.

are subject to potential loss

Suggests the loss is governed by certain conditions or factors.

FAQs

How can I use "are potentially lost" in a sentence?

You can use "are potentially lost" to describe situations where something valuable might disappear or be unrecoverable. For example, "If the backup system fails, critical files "are potentially lost"."

What phrases are similar to "are potentially lost"?

Similar phrases include "could be lost", "may be lost", or "might be lost". The choice depends on the specific nuance and context you want to convey.

Is it better to say "are potentially lost" or "could be lost"?

Both "are potentially lost" and "could be lost" are grammatically correct. "Are potentially lost" is slightly more formal, while "could be lost" is more common in everyday speech.

What's the difference between "are potentially lost" and "are at risk of being lost"?

"Are potentially lost" simply indicates a possibility of loss, while "are at risk of being lost" emphasizes the vulnerability and the factors that increase the likelihood of loss. The latter phrase conveys a higher degree of concern.