evidently not

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "evidently not" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to indicate that something is clearly or obviously not the case. Example: "Despite the evidence presented, the committee decided, evidently not, to approve the proposal."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Evidently not.

The New York Times - Arts

Well, evidently not Zoella.

The Guardian

He is evidently not alone.

The New York Times

He is evidently not intimidated.

The New York Times

Something was evidently not right.

The Guardian - Sport

"Evidently not going to jail," Clemens replied.

The New York Times - Sports

Well, evidently not this time -- but sometime soon.

The New York Times

What's interesting is that fathers are, evidently, not similarly afflicted.

The New York Times

Whoever had owned him had evidently not been kind.

The New Yorker

The "clear signal" was evidently not received in Whitehall.

Independent

This organic process has evidently not ended with his death.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "evidently not" to politely but firmly contradict an assumption or expectation that has been proven false or inaccurate.

Common error

While "evidently not" is acceptable in many contexts, avoid overusing it in highly formal or academic writing. Consider stronger, more direct alternatives to maintain a professional tone.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "evidently not" functions as an elliptical adverbial phrase, conveying negation or contradiction. It succinctly expresses that a prior assumption, expectation, or statement is incorrect or untrue. Ludwig AI examples show it in use across various contexts to express disagreement or correction.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

67%

Science

27%

Formal & Business

3%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "evidently not" is a common and grammatically correct way to express disagreement or contradiction. Ludwig AI confirms its prevalence across diverse sources, especially news and media outlets. While generally appropriate for neutral contexts, consider more formal alternatives in academic or professional writing. Its function is to succinctly negate a prior assumption, and related phrases include "clearly not" and "obviously not". Therefore, use "evidently not" to express polite, yet firm, disagreement.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

Clearly not

Implies a straightforward and obvious negation, potentially stronger than "evidently not".

Obviously not

Similar to 'clearly not', but emphasizes the lack of doubt or question.

Definitely not

Strongly emphasizes negation, indicating certainty.

Absolutely not

An even stronger expression of negation, leaving no room for doubt.

Certainly not

Indicates a confident negation based on evidence or knowledge.

Apparently not

Similar to "evidently not", but might imply a less definitive conclusion.

Patently false

Emphasizes that something is obviously untrue or incorrect.

Seemingly not

Suggests that something appears to be false based on available information.

Far from it

Strongly negates a previous statement or assumption, implying the opposite is true.

Hardly so

Expresses doubt or disagreement with a previous statement, suggesting it's unlikely.

FAQs

How to use "evidently not" in a sentence?

Use "evidently not" to express that something is clearly not the case, often in response to a prior assumption or statement. For example: "I thought they were going to win, but "evidently not"."

What can I say instead of "evidently not"?

You can use alternatives like "clearly not", "obviously not", or "apparently not" depending on the context.

Is "evidently not" formal or informal?

"Evidently not" falls in a neutral to slightly informal register. It's suitable for news articles and general writing, but might be too casual for strictly formal academic papers or legal documents.

What's the difference between "evidently not" and "apparently not"?

Both "evidently not" and "apparently not" suggest something is not the case, but "evidently not" implies a stronger degree of certainty based on clear evidence, while "apparently not" may rely on observation or assumption.