designated intervals

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "designated intervals" is correct and usable in written English. You can use it when referring to specific, predetermined periods of time or spaces in various contexts, such as scheduling or data collection. For example: "The data will be collected at designated intervals throughout the study." Alternative expressions include "specified intervals" and "appointed intervals."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

21 human-written examples

Patients can complete their self-reports after designated intervals, after pre-designated events, or when prompted by a randomly timed signal [ 60].

Health and Quality of Life Outcomes

Rest breaks are required at designated intervals.

The New York Times

Daemons perform certain tasks automatically at designated intervals or in response to specific events, rather than requiring the user to start the program.

The New York Times - Tech

All three are sticklers about getting their clotting times checked at designated intervals, initially every day, then every other day, then every week, then every month once the desired level has stabilized.

The New York Times - Health

For the first performance of 4′33″, pianist David Tudor used a stopwatch, opening or closing the keyboard lid at the designated intervals.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Starting about 380 bc, however, fixed rules regarding intercalations were established, providing for the distribution of seven intercalary months at designated intervals over 19-year periods.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

39 human-written examples

Average base coverage was the average number of times a base was read within the designated interval.

BMC Genomics

At every designated interval, buffer solutions (4 mL) in the beaker were taken out and fresh buffer solution (4 mL) was replenished to keep a constant volume.

Chemistry of Materials

Return their toys after a designated interval, and praise them for sharing.

WikiHow

At designated time intervals and after anesthesia, the animals (n = 4/time interval, n = 12 control, and n = 12 PNV-treated per age) were perfused transcardially with saline solution followed by 4% paraformaldehyde in 0.1 M PBS (phosphate buffered saline), pH 7.4.

BioMed Research International

These findings should be considered with caution as while there are designated rest intervals in some CrossFit workouts (e.g., Fight Gone Bad, 5 × 500 m row), the inclusion of rest intervals is not common practice in CrossFit prescriptions.

Sports Medicine - Open

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

In scientific writing, pair this phrase with a description of the exact timing (e.g., 'every 15 minutes') to provide maximum clarity to the reader.

Common error

Do not assume "designated intervals" must be equal in length. While "regular intervals" are always consistent, "designated" simply means they were chosen. For instance, a medical trial might collect data at 1 hour, 4 hours and then 24 hours—these are designated but not regular.

Linguistic Context

In the examples provided by Ludwig, "designated intervals" acts as a noun phrase where the past participle "designated" functions as an attributive adjective modifying the plural noun "intervals". It often appears within prepositional phrases, typically following the preposition "at" or "in", to define the temporal or spatial constraints of an activity.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

Science

52%

News & Media

24%

Encyclopedias

14%

Less common in

Wiki

8%

Business

1%

Social Media

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "designated intervals" is a robust and grammatically correct English expression primarily used in formal, technical and scientific writing. Analysis from Ludwig AI confirms its strength in professional contexts, where it signifies that specific timeframes or spatial gaps have been intentionally chosen or mandated by an authority. It is distinct from ""regular intervals"" because it emphasizes the act of selection rather than the consistency of the pattern. Whether you are describing a clinical trial protocol, a mechanical maintenance schedule or a regulatory requirement for rest breaks, "designated intervals" serves as a precise and authoritative choice. Writers should feel confident using it to convey planned periodicity in any formal document.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

specified intervals

Emphasizes the act of clearly stating or identifying the time periods

predetermined intervals

Focuses on the fact that the timing was decided in advance of the action

fixed intervals

Suggests that the gaps are unchanging and strictly set

set intervals

A slightly less formal but equally clear way to describe established gaps

scheduled intervals

Implies that the timing is part of an official timetable or plan

defined intervals

Stresses the precision and clear boundaries of the periods

regular intervals

Focuses on the rhythmic or periodic nature of the timing rather than the selection process

assigned intervals

Indicates that the periods were allocated by a specific authority or system

pre-arranged intervals

Suggests an agreement or planning session took place beforehand

appointed intervals

Carries a more formal or even legalistic tone regarding the timing

FAQs

How to use "designated intervals" in a sentence?

You can use it to describe a planned schedule, such as: "The machine is programmed to perform a self-check at "designated intervals" throughout the day."

What can I say instead of "designated intervals"?

Depending on your context, you could use "specified intervals", "predetermined intervals" or "fixed intervals".

What is the difference between "designated intervals" and "regular intervals"?

While ""regular intervals"" implies a consistent, rhythmic gap (like every 10 minutes), "designated intervals" simply means the gaps were specifically chosen, even if they are of varying lengths.

Is "designated intervals" considered formal?

Yes, it is a formal and technical term. It is very common in academic journals, legal documents and professional manuals, as evidenced by its frequent appearance in sources like The New York Times and PubMed.