at arbitrary intervals

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "at arbitrary intervals" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe actions or events that occur at random or non-specific times. Example: "The system updates its data at arbitrary intervals to ensure accuracy and relevance."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

4 human-written examples

We employed feeding trials at four feeding stations [[14]; Figure 3] selected at arbitrary intervals.

Plosone

Data could be acquired piecemeal in up to 10000 segments that could be triggered at arbitrary intervals, offering great flexibility in designing scanning protocols and simplifying the demultiplexing of random-access scans.

Plosone

Time-course gene-expression profiles can provide insights about the dynamics of many cellular responses, but are often noisy and measured at arbitrary intervals, posing a major analysis challenge.

Bioinformatics

For each system, six independent simulations were started from different snapshots from the equilibration simulations (taken at arbitrary intervals after the density of the water box was equilibrated) with randomized velocities.

Biochemistry

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

"By putting together small arrangements using low sample-rate soundfonts in a tracker, and by writing short loops that are legible both forwards and backwards, the MIDI information can be traversed in any arbitrary direction at any arbitrary intervals and still be harmonically and contrapuntally sound".

Vice

Baldessari's rote repetition of the letters of the alphabet at uneven and arbitrary intervals in Teaching a Plant the Alphabet is not just a poor way to teach language, it is, in this allegory, equivalent to the kinds of repetitive, sequential, and arbitrary practices promoted by a long history of art educators.

Johns Hopkins University

Although trajectories extracted from image sequences are often recorded as a series of discrete points, such initial discretization is usually irregular or fixed at an arbitrary interval (the video's frame rate).

EURASIP Journal on Image and Video Processing

The derived equations are useful for building a time series model at arbitrary time intervals.

Journal of Hydrology

Height-resolved (increment, 0.5 µm) images shown at arbitrary time intervals following the first frame.

eLife

The regulatory networks are represented by Markov random fields at arbitrary time intervals.

BioMed Research International

This is because our stochastic flux analysis makes it possible to quantify the flow of specific species between specific reactions at arbitrary time intervals.

BMC Systems Biology

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "at arbitrary intervals", ensure it clearly conveys the lack of a predictable pattern or schedule. This is particularly useful in scientific contexts, where randomness needs to be explicitly stated.

Common error

Avoid using "at arbitrary intervals" when you mean the intervals are insignificant or unimportant. "Arbitrary" refers to the lack of a predetermined rule, not the value or impact of the intervals themselves.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "at arbitrary intervals" functions as an adverbial phrase, modifying a verb by specifying when an action occurs. It indicates that the timing is not fixed, regular, or predictable, as Ludwig AI states that can be used to describe actions or events that occur at random or non-specific times.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

67%

News & Media

17%

Academia

16%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "at arbitrary intervals" is a grammatically sound adverbial phrase used to describe events or actions that occur without a fixed schedule. As Ludwig AI confirms, it accurately conveys occurrences at random or non-specific times. While not overly common, appearing mostly in scientific contexts, it's a precise way to emphasize the lack of a predetermined pattern, setting it apart from similar expressions like "at random times". Ensure you intend to communicate a lack of a planned schedule and not a lack of importance when using this phrase.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

at random times

Focuses on the unpredictability of the timing.

at irregular intervals

Emphasizes the lack of a consistent pattern in spacing.

at unpredictable moments

Highlights the uncertainty regarding when something will occur.

sporadically

Describes occurrences that happen occasionally and not at consistent times.

intermittently

Suggests pauses and stops between occurrences, without a fixed schedule.

at unscheduled times

Directly indicates the absence of a planned schedule.

at variable intervals

Focuses on the changing nature of the spacing between events.

on occasion

Suggests that something happens sometimes, but not regularly.

haphazardly

Emphasizes the lack of any system or planning.

erratically

Highlights the unpredictable and inconsistent nature of occurrences.

FAQs

How can I use "at arbitrary intervals" in a sentence?

Use "at arbitrary intervals" to describe events or actions that occur without a set schedule or pattern. For example, "The data was sampled "at arbitrary intervals" to avoid bias".

What are some alternatives to "at arbitrary intervals"?

You can use alternatives like "at random times", "at irregular intervals", or "sporadically" depending on the specific context.

Is it better to say "at arbitrary intervals" or "at random intervals"?

Both phrases are acceptable, but ""at arbitrary intervals"" emphasizes the lack of a specific rule or reason for the timing, while "at random intervals" highlights the unpredictability.

What does "at arbitrary intervals" mean in the context of data collection?

In data collection, ""at arbitrary intervals"" means that data points are collected at times chosen without a pre-defined schedule or method. This can be done to avoid introducing bias or to simulate real-world conditions.