big enough to justify

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "big enough to justify" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when discussing whether something meets a certain threshold or standard that warrants a particular action or decision. Example: "The investment was big enough to justify the risks involved in the project."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

32 human-written examples

Even if the market is captive, it has to be big enough to justify the investment.

The Economist

Most corporate tenants, however, are not big enough to justify a million-square-foot tower.

The New York Times

"But the difference was big enough to justify doing it over".

The New York Times

As admirable as his "Otello" or "Mose in Egitto" or "Guillaume Tell" may be, the market during a worldwide recession probably didn't seem big enough to justify duplications.

The New York Times - Arts

Ms. Leavel is, as always, scarily brilliant at portraying self-involvement and making that passion big enough to justify belting about it.

The New York Times

Synfuels estimates that only 200 of the 15,000 gas fields outside North America are big enough to justify the high capital costs of a Fischer-Tropsch plant.

MIT Technology Review

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

28 human-written examples

Has Winter Storm Juno been big and bad enough to justify that build-up?

BBC

Can a company as big as General Electric grow fast enough to justify this rich multiple?

Forbes

But because the pessimists have little role, the optimists can continue driving prices up and arguing that property values are high enough to justify big loans, Wachter notes.

Forbes

There may now be more demand for college graduates, but the data are not strong enough to justify a big expansion of higher education on economic grounds alone.

The New York Times

But while her Sam Fox-style barnet and vintage MOR pop strive for populist appeal, her acoustic folk-with-electro-knobs-on slides from mainstream into bland; only her big hit Starry Eyed stands out enough to justify the fuss about her.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "big enough to justify", ensure that the scale or importance of the initial element is clearly established before explaining why it warrants a particular action or decision.

Common error

Avoid using "big enough to justify" when the connection between the size and the justification is weak or illogical. Ensure there is a clear and rational relationship between the two.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "big enough to justify" functions as an adjective phrase followed by an infinitive, indicating that the preceding noun meets a certain threshold that warrants a specific action. As Ludwig AI confirms, this phrase is grammatically sound and widely used.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

54%

Formal & Business

22%

Science

14%

Less common in

Wiki

3%

Academia

3%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "big enough to justify" is a grammatically sound and frequently used expression to indicate that something is of sufficient magnitude or importance to warrant a particular action or decision. According to Ludwig AI, it's most commonly found in news and media contexts. While it can be used in formal or professional settings, it's essential to ensure a clear and logical connection between the "size" and the justification to avoid overstating the claim. Remember, consider alternatives such as "sufficient to warrant" or "adequate to support" for nuanced expression.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

sufficient to warrant

Replaces "big enough" with "sufficient" and uses the verb "warrant" instead of "justify".

adequate to support

Substitutes "big enough" with "adequate" and "justify" with "support", focusing on providing a foundation.

substantial enough to validate

Emphasizes the size or amount being considerable for validating an action.

significant enough to merit

Highlights importance as the reason for deserving something.

large enough to defend

Focuses on the size being sufficient to provide a defense for an action.

considerable enough to explain

Suggests that the size is significant enough to serve as a reason.

ample to vindicate

Emphasizes having more than enough to clear blame or suspicion.

extensive enough to rationalize

Focuses on the scope or reach being sufficient to make something seem reasonable.

worth the cost

Implies that the benefits outweigh the expenses, making it justifiable.

justifiable based on

Focuses on providing reasons or evidence to support a decision or action.

FAQs

How can I use "big enough to justify" in a sentence?

Use "big enough to justify" to explain that something meets a threshold which warrants an action. For example: "The potential benefits were "big enough to justify" the initial investment".

What are some alternatives to using "big enough to justify"?

You can use alternatives such as "sufficient to warrant", "adequate to support", or "substantial enough to validate" depending on the specific context.

When is it appropriate to use "big enough to justify"?

It's appropriate when you want to convey that the scale, size, or impact of something is significant enough to make a specific action or decision reasonable or necessary.

Is there a difference between "big enough to justify" and "good enough to justify"?

While both phrases suggest a threshold is met, "big enough to justify" emphasizes the magnitude or scale, whereas "good enough to justify" focuses on the quality or suitability.