clearly incorrect

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "clearly incorrect" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe something that is obviously wrong or mistaken. Example: "The statement he made about the historical event was clearly incorrect, as it contradicted well-documented facts."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

So that was clearly incorrect.

The New York Times

"This decision is clearly incorrect.

The New York Times

That figure, 52percentt, is clearly incorrect.

The Washington Post

The hypothesis was clearly incorrect in case of initial S-state.

Nature

Meetings with Valentine were frequently misrepresented in "clearly incorrect" letters sent by her direct manager.

The Guardian

"That seems clearly incorrect and is supported by neither theory nor experience".

The New York Times

But we should be careful to not raise clearly incorrect arguments such as the one expressed here.

Stanford University

The publishers' attempt to suggest such an advantage from Professor Lieberman's transfer of a coursepack from Kinko's to MDS (Pl. Br. p.8) is clearly incorrect.

Stanford University

The petitioner's contention that the court's very act of directing him to answer somehow violated his privilege against self-incrimination is thus clearly incorrect.

Cornell University

Among the FCA's many failings, said Townsend, was that it "copied and pasted" what was clearly incorrect information supplied by HSBC into a letter sent to Wilson.

The Guardian - Business

FIFA has firm rules about the finality of decisions made by game officials, even if television replays show them to be clearly incorrect.

The New York Times - Sports

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "clearly incorrect" to express strong disagreement with a statement or idea, especially when there's ample evidence to contradict it.

Common error

Avoid using "clearly incorrect" for matters of opinion or taste. Save it for situations where objective facts demonstrate the error.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "clearly incorrect" functions as an adjectival modifier, emphasizing the degree to which something is wrong or inaccurate. As supported by Ludwig, it serves to highlight the obvious nature of the error. It's typically used to express strong disagreement, often in formal or analytical contexts.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

33%

News & Media

59%

Academia

8%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "clearly incorrect" is a versatile and widely used adjectival phrase that serves to emphatically denote something that is wrong or inaccurate. Ludwig AI affirms its correctness and broad applicability. Its frequent use in news, scientific, and academic contexts, as evidenced by Ludwig, highlights its value in expressing strong disagreement, especially when backed by readily available evidence. While the phrase is generally safe for use, it's best reserved for situations with demonstrable factual errors, avoiding overuse in matters of subjective opinion. Related phrases like "patently false" or "obviously mistaken" can offer stylistic variation, but the core function remains consistent: to highlight the evident nature of an error.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

patently false

Highlights the falseness being evident.

obviously mistaken

Emphasizes the error in judgment or understanding.

evidently wrong

Stresses the obvious nature of the incorrectness.

plainly untrue

Focuses on the lack of truth in a straightforward manner.

undeniably flawed

Points to defects or imperfections that cannot be denied.

indisputably erroneous

Indicates an error that cannot be reasonably disputed.

unquestionably inaccurate

Suggests a lack of accuracy that is beyond question.

demonstrably false

Indicates that the incorrectness can be shown or proven.

categorically invalid

Stresses that something definitively does not hold.

blatantly wrong

Emphasizes the egregious nature of the incorrectness.

FAQs

How can I use "clearly incorrect" in a sentence?

You can use "clearly incorrect" to describe a statement, calculation, or belief that is demonstrably wrong. For instance, "His understanding of the economic data was "clearly incorrect"."

What are some alternatives to saying "clearly incorrect"?

Alternatives include "patently false", "obviously mistaken", or "evidently wrong", depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is it better to say "clearly incorrect" or "incorrect"?

"Clearly incorrect" emphasizes the obviousness of the error. "Incorrect" is a more neutral term. The best choice depends on whether you want to highlight the evident nature of the mistake.

What's the difference between "clearly incorrect" and "misleading"?

"Clearly incorrect" means something is factually wrong. "Misleading" means something is presented in a way that could cause someone to believe something untrue, even if the statement isn't strictly false.