crucial experiment

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "crucial experiment" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to refer to an experiment that is essential or of great importance in a particular context, often in scientific research. Example: "The researchers conducted a crucial experiment to determine the effectiveness of the new drug."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

35 human-written examples

Yet soon the ageing gas-fired plant could host a crucial experiment.

The Economist

In 1786 Luigi Galvani, a physician in Bologna, made the crucial experiment that helped end this controversy.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Specifically, the delta virus caused illness only in the chimpanzees infected with hepatitis B. "This was the crucial experiment, and everything else then followed," Dr. Rizzetto said.

The New York Times - Science

Not one of the many complainers about the confetti that is supposed to be raining out of Florida's ballots seems to have done the crucial experiment.

The New York Times

Beethoven's side of the discussion was the "Serioso" Quartet in F minor (Op. 95), a first, crucial experiment with the kind of bold chromaticism that would blossom in his final works.

The New York Times - Arts

'The Crucial Experiment' From these animal studies, the researchers reported in 1980 that the delta antigen was actually a virus that would produce disease in animals only under specific conditions.

The New York Times - Science

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

25 human-written examples

The crucial experiments are being conducted in the Netherlands on rhesus monkeys and other animals, according to Dr. Klaus Stöhr, the scientific director of W.H.O.'s SARS investigation.

The New York Times

Researchers at the C.D.C. have just begun crucial experiments in specially protected laboratories where they will attempt to juggle the genetic components of the H5N1 virus.

The New Yorker

Experiments from molecular biology have also figured into philosophical discussions about the possibility of "crucial experiments".

SEP

Duhem's famous critique of crucial experiments follows a similar pattern.

SEP

Duhem argues that crucial experiments resemble false dilemmas: hypotheses in physics do not come in pairs, so that crucial experiments cannot transform one of the two into a demonstrated truth.

SEP

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing a study or research, use "crucial experiment" to emphasize the importance and impact of a specific experiment on the overall findings.

Common error

Avoid using "crucial experiment" for routine or preliminary experiments. Reserve it for those that have a significant impact on confirming or refuting a hypothesis.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "crucial experiment" functions as an adjective-noun combination, where "crucial" modifies "experiment" to highlight its importance. As Ludwig AI explains, it denotes an experiment of great significance.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

50%

News & Media

32%

Encyclopedias

14%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Reference

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "crucial experiment" is a grammatically correct and usable phrase in English, predominantly employed in scientific and news contexts to denote an experiment of paramount importance. Ludwig AI confirms its correctness. Although not very frequent, the phrase is effective in emphasizing the significance and decisive nature of an experiment, and has semantically related alternatives like "critical experiment", "key experiment" and "pivotal experiment". When using this phrase, ensure that it accurately reflects the experiment's impact and is not overused for routine procedures.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

critical experiment

Replaces "crucial" with "critical", emphasizing the importance and decisiveness of the experiment.

key experiment

Substitutes "crucial" with "key", highlighting the experiment's significance as a central element.

pivotal experiment

Replaces "crucial" with "pivotal", focusing on the experiment's role as a turning point or hinge.

essential experiment

Substitutes "crucial" with "essential", underscoring the experiment's necessity.

significant experiment

Replaces "crucial" with "significant", highlighting the experiment's notable impact or importance.

decisive experiment

Replaces "crucial" with "decisive", emphasizing the experiment's ability to settle a question or issue.

definitive experiment

Substitutes "crucial" with "definitive", stressing the experiment's conclusiveness and authoritativeness.

vital experiment

Replaces "crucial" with "vital", emphasizing the experiment's importance for the survival or success of something.

indispensable experiment

Substitutes "crucial" with "indispensable", highlighting the experiment's essential nature.

cornerstone experiment

Replaces "crucial" with "cornerstone", focusing on the experiment's role as a fundamental element.

FAQs

How to use "crucial experiment" in a sentence?

You can use "crucial experiment" to describe an experiment that is essential for proving or disproving a hypothesis. For example, "The Meselson-Stahl experiment is a "crucial experiment" in biology."

What can I say instead of "crucial experiment"?

Alternatives to "crucial experiment" include "critical experiment", "key experiment", or "pivotal experiment" depending on the context.

Which is correct, "crucial experiment" or "important experiment"?

"Crucial experiment" emphasizes that the experiment is essential and decisive, while "important experiment" simply indicates that the experiment has significance. The better choice depends on the specific context and the level of emphasis desired.

What makes an experiment a "crucial experiment"?

A "crucial experiment" is one that definitively tests a hypothesis, often deciding between competing theories or providing critical evidence to support a particular claim. It's not just important, but fundamentally decisive.