effectively equivalent to

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "effectively equivalent to" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when discussing two things that have the same practical effect or outcome, even if they are not identical in form or function. Example: "In many cases, the two methods are effectively equivalent to each other in terms of results."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

17 human-written examples

O.T.C. Prilosec is identical to prescription Prilosec and effectively equivalent to prescription Nexium, and it costs only twenty dollars a month.

The New Yorker

The one-sided spatial discretisation utilised to enforce the tight coupling for the interface conditions were effectively equivalent to a central difference.

Journal of Computational Physics

Like them, Sudbin makes no apology for using the full tonal resources that a modern Steinway can offer in works composed for the harpsichord; playing the sonatas on a piano, he says, is effectively equivalent to making piano transcriptions of the originals, and the range of keyboard colour and pedal effects he conjures up for his selection is consistently dazzling.

The Guardian - Music

"For perspective, a $50 million fund is effectively equivalent to a several hundred million dollar fund elsewhere," explained Hansch.

TechCrunch

To overcome this problem, increasing the carrier concentration or carrier mobility is effectively equivalent to decreasing the sheet resistance.

Nanoscale Research Letters

It has achieved especial prominence because of the frequent use of 'scaffolds' in medicinal chemistry, where the scaffold is effectively equivalent to a large, common substructure (e.g. [47 52]).

Journal of Cheminformatics

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

42 human-written examples

For example, it has been shown experimentally that internal loops may effectively be equivalent to helix termini in terms of editing efficiency [ 42].

BMC Genomics

On the subject of group selection, I choose to adopt the view that, in fragmented populations, each group effectively becomes equivalent to a multi-cellular organism (see [ 43] for recent views on organismality).

Biology Direct

And at first glance, this may seem like a very suitable solution, since having two populations of mitochondria would effectively be equivalent to being diploid, and should hence favour adaptive evolution by promoting the occurrence of new gene combinations.

Biology Direct

Finally, canine NSC and primary fetal neural lines were demonstrated to be effectively equivalent in capacity for deriving cell types throughout each stage of neurodevelopment, from radial progenitor to mature neuron and astrocyte.

Plosone

It was assumed that the FLIR capabilities were effectively equivalent in terms of rural fire management use to that of the current Department of Conservation (DOC) thermal cameras.

New Zealand Journal of Forestry Science

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "effectively equivalent to" when you want to emphasize that two things yield the same practical result, even if they differ in their specific details or implementation. This is particularly useful in technical or scientific contexts where precise equivalence may not exist.

Common error

Avoid using "effectively equivalent to" if there are significant differences between the items being compared. Overstating the equivalence can mislead the audience, especially when precision is crucial.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "effectively equivalent to" functions as an adjectival phrase, modifying a noun by describing it as having the same practical effect or outcome as something else. Ludwig AI confirms its correct usage across various sources.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

Science

65%

News & Media

30%

Wiki

5%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "effectively equivalent to" is a grammatically sound and commonly used expression that signifies that two distinct entities share the same practical outcome. As confirmed by Ludwig AI, this phrase is most prevalent in scientific and news contexts. While grammatically correct, it's important to ensure that the equivalence isn't overstated and that differences aren't glossed over when they could have significant implications. Alternatives such as "practically identical to" or "virtually the same as" can be used depending on the desired nuance.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

practically identical to

Focuses on the practical similarity, emphasizing that the differences are negligible in a real-world context.

virtually the same as

Highlights that while not exactly identical, the difference is so small as to be insignificant.

tantamount to

Suggests that the two things are equal in effect or value, even if they are different in appearance.

functionally equivalent to

Emphasizes that both things serve the same function or purpose, regardless of any structural differences.

in effect, the same as

Adds a clarifying statement indicating that the similarity is real even if not obvious.

comparable to

Indicates similarity to a certain extent. Less restrictive than the query.

akin to

Indicates a resemblance or similarity, often suggesting a shared nature or origin.

on par with

Suggests that something is of an equal standard or quality.

corresponding to

Highlights a direct relationship or analogy between two things.

similar to in practice

Focuses on the practical similarity while acknowledging potential theoretical differences.

FAQs

How can I use "effectively equivalent to" in a sentence?

You can use "effectively equivalent to" to show that two things have the same practical outcome, even if they aren't exactly the same. For instance, "Using method A is "effectively equivalent to" using method B in this specific scenario".

What's a simpler way to say "effectively equivalent to"?

Alternatives include phrases like "practically the same", "virtually identical", or "tantamount to". The best choice will depend on the specific context.

Is there a difference between "effectively equivalent to" and "exactly equivalent to"?

"Effectively equivalent to" implies that the two things have the same result in practice, while "exactly equivalent to" implies that they are identical in every way. If the match isn't perfect, "effectively equivalent to" is more accurate.

When should I avoid using "effectively equivalent to"?

Avoid using "effectively equivalent to" if there are notable differences between the items being compared that could significantly affect the outcome. Overstating the equivalence might lead to misunderstandings.