cone of confidence

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "cone of confidence" is correct and usable in written English.
It is typically used in contexts related to forecasting, particularly in meteorology, to describe the area where a predicted event is likely to occur with a certain level of certainty. Example: "The meteorologist presented the cone of confidence for the hurricane's path, indicating the areas most likely to be affected."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

3 human-written examples

The white lines in Fig. 7 indicate cone of confidence and black and purple curves represent 95 and 98% significance levels.

Earth, Planets and Space

The true center of gravity (comparable to the mean within the linear statistics) plots with a significance of 0.05 within the cone of confidence (8.6°; Fig. 5E green circle) around the center of gravity (153/12).

Computers and Geosciences

The true center of gravity of the planes (comparable to the true mean within the linear statistics) plots with a significance of 0.05 within the cone of confidence (3.7°) around the center of gravity (159/12; Fig. 5G).

Computers and Geosciences

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

Cone displayed a sliver of confidence by dropping his arm angle to throw a rare sidearm slider to Chad Moeller, Minnesota's ninth-place hitter.

The New York Times - Sports

In a subset of cones, the unperturbed amplitude of the dim G flash response could be extrapolated with a reasonable degree of confidence (red horizontal segments at time zero).

eLife

Cone's confidence, hurt by his long winless streak, seems to be returning.

The New York Times - Sports

"A ton of confidence.

The New York Times - Sports

"A lot of confidence.

The New York Times

'Crisis of confidence'?

BBC

A lack of confidence?

BBC

Monday: Vote of confidence?

BBC

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "cone of confidence", ensure that the context involves predictions with increasing uncertainty over time or distance, such as weather forecasts or trajectory analysis. It is especially useful in situations where visualizing the range of possible outcomes is beneficial.

Common error

Avoid using "cone of confidence" to describe static confidence intervals. The term implies a widening range of uncertainty, not a fixed margin of error. Use "confidence interval" for static measurements.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "cone of confidence" functions as a noun phrase, typically serving as a subject or object in a sentence. Ludwig examples show its use in describing statistical significance and prediction ranges, especially in scientific contexts.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

60%

News & Media

30%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "cone of confidence" is a specific term used to visualize the uncertainty in predictions, particularly those that evolve over time, such as weather forecasts. According to Ludwig, it's grammatically correct but relatively rare, primarily appearing in scientific and news contexts. It differs from a standard "confidence interval" by representing a widening range of possibilities. When using this term, remember it's best suited for situations where the prediction's uncertainty grows with time or distance. The "cone of confidence" is a tool for illustrating potential outcomes, offering a range of possibilities rather than a singular, definite forecast.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

confidence interval

Focuses on a range of values with a specified probability of containing the true value, differing from the visual "cone".

prediction interval

Emphasizes the range within which a future observation is predicted to fall, instead of a graphical representation.

uncertainty range

Highlights the extent of uncertainty associated with a prediction, without specifying a particular shape.

area of certainty

Focuses on the region where a certain outcome is most probable, removing the concept of diminishing certainty.

plume of probability

Emphasizes the probabilistic nature of the prediction while retaining the visual aspect of spread.

margin of error

Highlights the statistical imprecision in an estimate. It doesn't imply a geometric shape like a cone.

range of likely outcomes

Focuses on the set of possible results, eliminating the geometric shape and focusing on possibilities.

estimated path deviation

Emphasizes the variation from an expected trajectory, removing the visual metaphor of a cone.

confidence region

Highlights the spatial aspect of the prediction with a specified level of confidence.

domain of predictability

Emphasizes the area where reliable forecasts can be made, differing from a graphical representation of confidence.

FAQs

What does "cone of confidence" mean?

The "cone of confidence" represents the likely area that a predicted event will occur within, usually related to forecasts such as the path of a storm. The width of the cone indicates the uncertainty in the prediction, which typically increases over time.

How is a "cone of confidence" used in weather forecasting?

In weather forecasting, a "cone of confidence" illustrates the probable track of a tropical storm or hurricane. The center line represents the most likely path, while the cone encompasses the range of possible deviations from that path.

What are some alternatives to "cone of confidence"?

Depending on the context, you could use alternatives like "confidence interval", "prediction interval", or "uncertainty range" to convey a similar meaning.

Is "cone of confidence" the same as "confidence interval"?

While both terms relate to uncertainty, "cone of confidence" typically applies to dynamic predictions with widening uncertainty over time or distance, whereas "confidence interval" is usually used for static estimates with a fixed range of uncertainty.