despite acknowledging that

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "despite acknowledging that" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to introduce a contrast or contradiction between an acknowledgment and the subsequent statement or action. Example: "Despite acknowledging that the project had significant challenges, the team decided to move forward with the plan."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

41 human-written examples

By "Finance," Mr. Stiglitz includes Mr. Greenspan, who, he says, did little to defuse the stock market bubble despite acknowledging that "irrational exuberance" was at work.

The New York Times

The establishment think tanks understandably believe they can, despite acknowledging that choice and competition policy "appears at times to run contrary to the desire for integrated care".

The Guardian

In the last several years, Mr. Picard has brought more than 1,000 cases seeking more than $100 billion on behalf of victims, despite acknowledging that only about $17.3 billion had actually been invested by customers.

The New York Times

But despite acknowledging that "dealing with this crisis — and preventing future crises — is as much a matter of politics as it is economics," he avoids more than occasional references to the profound politics involved.

The New York Times - Books

The planning officers' report, which recommended that the application is approved, said planners came to this decision despite acknowledging that many of the 4,000 representations it had received in consultation were objections to the plans.

The Guardian

But despite acknowledging that "it is impossible to paraphrase or summarize the emotions of a strongly felt letter," Cash does just that with Catherine's diaries; the woman remains maddeningly elusive.

The New York Times - Books

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

19 human-written examples

TOKYO — Japan vowed Tuesday to stick to its goal of stabilizing a stricken nuclear power plant in as soon as six months, despite recently acknowledging that damage to the plant's reactors might be worse than initially estimated.

The New York Times

Despite researchers acknowledging that children with disabilities have not been actively involved in DRR planning (Peek and Stough 2010; Boon et al. 2011; Alexander et al. 2012), few studies have assessed the perceived barriers to children with disabilities' involvement in school or community activities (Law et al. 2007; Franklin and Sloper 2009).

International Journal of Disaster Risk Science

A survey among members of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases AASLDD) showed that 72% tested less than half their patients for MHE, despite 84% acknowledging that MHE is a significant problem.

Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics

No Barbie story with a gender lens would be complete without acknowledging that, despite her new tech career, Barbie is far from a perfect model for girls, particularly in terms of body image.

Huffington Post

Despite occasionally acknowledging that some academics might be women, his comments betrayed his assumption that academics are male, for apparently their default uniform comprises trousers, a jacket, a shirt and a tie.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "despite acknowledging that" to clearly signal a concession before introducing a contrasting point. This enhances the logical flow of your argument and prevents misinterpretations.

Common error

Avoid using "but" or "however" immediately after "despite acknowledging that". The "despite" already sets up the contrast, making additional conjunctions redundant and potentially confusing.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "despite acknowledging that" functions as a concessive conjunction, introducing a clause that presents a contrast or qualification to a previously acknowledged fact. Ludwig AI confirms that this is a valid and commonly used phrase to indicate a contrast, as seen in numerous examples.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Science

25%

Wiki

9%

Less common in

Formal & Business

8%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "despite acknowledging that" is a useful conjunction phrase to introduce a statement that contrasts with a previously recognized fact. As confirmed by Ludwig AI, this construction is grammatically correct and commonly used in various contexts, particularly in news media and scientific writing. When using this phrase, it's important to avoid redundancy by omitting additional conjunctions like "but" and to consider the nuanced difference between it and similar phrases like "even though acknowledging that". This ensures clarity and precision in writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

in spite of acknowledging that

Similar to "despite", but with a slightly different prepositional phrase.

notwithstanding the acknowledgement that

Replaces "despite" with a more formal equivalent and maintains the core meaning.

even though acknowledging that

Uses "even though" for a slightly less formal tone, indicating concession.

although acknowledging that

Replaces "despite" with "although", maintaining a concessive tone.

while acknowledging that

Indicates simultaneous acknowledgement and a contrasting statement.

regardless of acknowledging that

Emphasizes that the acknowledgement does not change the subsequent action or statement.

yet acknowledging that

Introduces a contrast after the acknowledgement, highlighting the unexpected nature of the subsequent statement.

admitting that nevertheless

Breaks the phrase into two parts, with "admitting that" followed by "nevertheless" to introduce the contrast.

conceding that however

Uses "conceding" as a synonym for "acknowledging" and "however" to mark the contrast.

with the recognition that nonetheless

A more formal and emphatic way of expressing the contrast, using "nonetheless".

FAQs

How can I use "despite acknowledging that" in a sentence?

The phrase "despite acknowledging that" is used to introduce a statement that contrasts with something that has already been admitted or recognized. For example, "Despite acknowledging that the project had significant challenges, the team decided to move forward".

What can I say instead of "despite acknowledging that"?

You can use alternatives like "even though acknowledging that", "in spite of acknowledging that", or "although acknowledging that" depending on the context.

Is it redundant to use "but" after "despite acknowledging that"?

Yes, using "but" directly after "despite acknowledging that" is generally redundant. The phrase "despite acknowledging that" already indicates a contrast, so adding "but" can make the sentence unnecessarily complex. For example, instead of "Despite acknowledging that the task was difficult, but we persevered", it's better to say "Despite acknowledging that the task was difficult, we persevered".

What's the difference between "despite acknowledging that" and "even though acknowledging that"?

While both phrases express concession, "despite acknowledging that" often implies a stronger sense of contrast or unexpectedness than "even though acknowledging that". "Despite" suggests that the following statement is somewhat surprising given the acknowledgement, whereas "even though" simply indicates that the following statement is true regardless of the acknowledgement.