discovered roughly

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "discovered roughly" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when indicating an approximate or estimated finding or result in a context where precision is not critical. Example: "The archaeologists discovered roughly 200 artifacts during their excavation of the ancient site."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

3 human-written examples

Two sides — and two ages — of one man's life can be discovered roughly 20 miles apart in the Berkshires this week, glowing and glowering across the hills like the bright and hidden sides of the moon.

The New York Times

Its DNA library boasts more than a billion plant, animal and microbe genes, and Diversa says it has already discovered roughly 1,000 proprietary enzymes.

Forbes

As film scholar Jack Shaheen discovered, roughly a third of the most blatantly anti-Muslim films of the last century were made in the 1980s alone.

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

Peering outside the pin-needle sized, early-adopting Silicon Valley elite, you will discover roughly 6 billion mobile subscribers worldwide – an astonishing 85percentt of the world population.

TechCrunch

Roughly three hours after Ivester's body was found, detectives were notified another body had been discovered, approximately 1 mile south of Ivester's.

Huffington Post

Whereas studies using fossil dating began almost 300 years ago, radioactivity itself was not discovered until roughly a century ago, and it has only been from about 1950 that extensive efforts to date geologic materials have become common.

Encyclopedia Britannica

The F.B.I. discovered the roughly 14,900 emails by scouring Mrs. Clinton's server and the computer archives of government officials with whom she corresponded.

The New York Times

A phone call, Mullin discovered, yields roughly four times the revenue of an e-mail.

Forbes

In 1997, chemical pathologist Dennis Lo, now at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, discovered that roughly 10% of the cell-free DNA floating in a pregnant woman's blood stream stems from her fetus.

Science Magazine

A CBS study in 2005 discovered that roughly 75% of plant-based dieters become ex-vegetarians.

Vice

In December 2011, he discovered that roughly a dozen of his Hereford cattle were missing and contacted authorities.

Huffington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "discovered roughly", ensure that the context allows for approximation. Avoid using it in situations where precise figures are crucial.

Common error

Avoid pairing "discovered roughly" with data that implies high accuracy. For instance, saying "scientists discovered roughly 99.99% of the gene sequence" creates a contradiction.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "discovered roughly" functions as a verb phrase acting as predicate and modified by an adverb. Ludwig AI confirms its usability, with examples showing its use in news, encyclopedias and scientific contexts.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Encyclopedias

25%

Science

25%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "discovered roughly" is grammatically correct and used to indicate an approximate or estimated finding. Ludwig's analysis, together with its examples, shows that it’s most commonly found in news, encyclopedias, and science contexts. While not exceedingly frequent, it's considered acceptable across various sources. When using "discovered roughly", ensure the context allows for approximation and avoid overstating precision by pairing it with data that implies high accuracy.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

found approximately

Replaces "discovered" with "found" and "roughly" with "approximately", maintaining the approximate sense.

uncovered about

Uses "uncovered" instead of "discovered" and "about" instead of "roughly", suggesting an imprecise discovery.

estimated to find

Emphasizes the estimation aspect rather than the act of discovery itself.

determined approximately

Replaces "discovered" with "determined", implying a calculated approximation.

ascertained around

Uses "ascertained" to mean discovered and "around" to convey an approximation.

calculated roughly

Focuses on the calculation aspect, indicating an approximate calculation.

identified approximately

Implies that something was recognized in an inexact manner.

unearthed roughly

Similar to "uncovered roughly", it maintains the act of revealing something in an approximate manner.

turned up about

Uses a more informal expression while retaining the approximate nature of the finding.

Discovered in the vicinity of

Implies something was discovered in the surrounding area with slight change in meaning.

FAQs

How can I use "discovered roughly" in a sentence?

You can use "discovered roughly" to indicate an approximate finding, as in, "The archaeologists "discovered roughly" 200 artifacts at the site."

What can I say instead of "discovered roughly"?

You can use alternatives like "found approximately", "uncovered about", or "estimated to find" depending on the context.

Is it appropriate to use "discovered roughly" in formal writing?

While "discovered roughly" is grammatically correct, more formal alternatives like "determined approximately" or "ascertained around" might be preferable in academic or professional contexts.

What's the difference between "discovered roughly" and "discovered exactly"?

"Discovered roughly" indicates an approximation or estimate, while "discovered exactly" implies precision. Using them correctly depends on the accuracy of the finding you're describing.