close to null

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "close to null" is not a commonly used phrase in written English.
Instead, you could use "close to nothing" or "almost non-existent" to convey a similar meaning. Example: The chances of success for the project were close to null due to a lack of funding.

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

42 human-written examples

The Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency criterion is over 89% for both calibration and validation periods, and the volume error between simulation and observation is close to null for the overall considered period.

Journal of Hydrology

As expected, down regulating FAK or cell contractility profoundly decreased durotaxis in PSCs, evidenced by close to null average of PSCs movement in the x-axis, which is indicative of random non-directed movement (Fig. 5a,b and Supplementary Videos S2 and S3).

Nature

The in vivo results showed accumulation of PAX at tumor site was close to null.

Clinical and Translational Medicine

Predictors that showed no meaningful relationship with willingness to donate under any of the scenarios – determined by parameter estimates close to null with corresponding p-values greater than 0.05 – were dropped from the model.

Life Sciences, Society and Policy

Focusing on the estimates obtained by the standard method, we observe that, even when the bias of the H s estimate error is close to null, there are still some over and underestimates present.

EURASIP Journal on Advances in Signal Processing

Recent research has shown evidence of construct validity, that is, adequate factor structure for the theoretical assumptions, moderate correlations with other types of intelligence (abstract reasoning, r = .36; verbal reasoning, r = .38), and correlations close to null with self-reported personality traits (Miguel et al. 2013a, b; Miguel and Primi 2014).

Psicologia: Reflexão e Crítica

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

18 human-written examples

Theoretically, the reduced OR (closer to null) in the Asian studies could represent an influence of pharmacogenetic or environmental factors, but until more data from Asian patient populations are available, this association should be interpreted with great caution.

Plosone

The association between early-childhood urinary BPA concentrations and being overweight was much closer to null (OR = 0.93; 95% CI: 0.34, 2.53; p = 0.89).

Environmental Health Perspectives

This combination has led to a situation wherein the rate ratios for the treatment procedures from multivariable analysis remain high as opposed to being closer to null after controlling for poverty.

BMC Oral Health

If glaucoma diagnosis is in fact a near-instrumental variable, the results would imply that the unconfounded hip fracture treatment effect estimate is considerably closer to null, the approximate value that the authors expect to be the genuine treatment effect based on randomized data.

F1000Research

This fully-adjusted HR would provide information about whether or not the age and sex-adjusted glaucoma diagnosis HR might be related to aspects of care-seeking, care access, health attitudes, or other factors that might be also represented by other covariates (leaving a much lesser or close-to-null association for glaucoma diagnosis in the actual analysis).

F1000Research

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "close to null" in scientific writing, ensure the context clearly indicates what metric or value is being described as nearly zero. Be specific to avoid ambiguity.

Common error

Avoid using "close to null" in general writing contexts. It's better to replace it with simpler, more accessible phrases like "almost nothing" or "nearly zero" for broader audiences.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "close to null" functions as an adjectival modifier, indicating the degree to which a quantity, effect, or relationship approaches zero. As Ludwig AI points out, while acceptable, it is not the most common expression, and simpler alternatives may be more suitable.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

100%

Less common in

News & Media

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Academia

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "close to null" is an acceptable, albeit not overly common, way to express that something is nearly zero or insignificant, as confirmed by Ludwig AI. Predominantly found in scientific literature, it serves to describe minimal effects or values. While grammatically sound, it's advisable to consider more accessible alternatives like "nearly zero" or "almost nonexistent" for broader audiences. When employed, especially in technical writing, ensure context is clear and specific. Although understood in specialized fields, remember it may sound overly technical in everyday settings. Thus, adjust your language for clarity and relevance.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

nearly zero

Emphasizes proximity to zero on a numerical scale.

almost nonexistent

Highlights the scarcity or virtual absence of something.

virtually nil

Uses "nil" to denote a negligible amount or effect.

approaching zero

Focuses on the trend or movement towards zero.

insignificantly small

Stresses the lack of importance due to minimal size.

vanishingly small

Implies that something is becoming so small it's almost disappearing.

negligible amount

Indicates that the amount is so small it can be disregarded.

effectively zero

Conveys that the practical effect is the same as having zero.

tantamount to nothing

Equates something to being worthless or nonexistent.

scarcely any

Highlights the lack of quantity or presence.

FAQs

What does "close to null" mean in research?

In research, "close to null" typically indicates that the measured effect or value is nearly zero or statistically insignificant. It suggests that the relationship between variables may be weak or nonexistent.

What are some alternatives to "close to null"?

You can use alternatives like "nearly zero", "almost nonexistent", or "virtually nil" depending on the context.

Is it appropriate to use "close to null" in everyday conversation?

While not grammatically incorrect, "close to null" is more suited for technical or scientific writing. In everyday conversation, it's better to use simpler phrases like "almost nothing" or "hardly any".

How does "close to null" compare to "statistically insignificant"?

"Close to null" can imply statistical insignificance, but it's not a direct synonym. Statistical insignificance refers to a result that is unlikely to have occurred by chance, while "close to null" refers to a value that is near zero.