fairly insufficient

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "fairly insufficient" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe something that is not enough to meet a certain standard or requirement, but to a moderate degree. Example: "The funding provided for the project was fairly insufficient to cover all the necessary expenses."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

More than 50% of the raters found the evidence presented for the indicators within the domains 'workforce development' (workf1, workf2), 'food provision' (prov3), 'funding and resources' (fund2), governance (gover1) and 'health-in-all-policies' (hiap1) insufficient or fairly insufficient (figure 2).

BMJ Open

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

Justyna MacDonald Dr Jules Eden replies: Fortunately for you the flight is fairly short, so there should be insufficient time for her to get annoyed with both the environment and close proximity of other passengers.

The Guardian - Travel

Although a fairly strong low-level circulation developed, there was insufficient warming of the center to produce a significant drop in barometric pressure at the surface.

Wikipedia

However, our findings are showing that the cervical cancer prevention program in Malawi has insufficient workforce, which is also not fairly distributed.

Global Health Action

Cu-ZSM-5 has fairly high NOx reduction activity but its durability is insufficient for practical use.

Catalysis Today

In high consistency hydrolysis, the sugar yields have been fairly low, due to problems with mass transfer and insufficient mixing [ 27], inhibition of enzymes by end-products [ 28] or by-products formed during pretreatment [ 29].

Biotechnology for Biofuels

39 Wider outcomes were measured by the RA Quality-of-Life scale (0 30), 40 Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (0 21), 41 Arthritis Helplessness Index (5 30), 42 RA Self-Efficacy scale (RASE, 28 140) 43 and a sleep quality question (very good, fairly good, fairly bad, very bad), 44 recoded as a binary variable as numbers were insufficient for analysis.

Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases

Since EGFR overexpression is fairly rare in breast cancer [ 20], the sample size in the present study might have been insufficient to render significant results for this specific biomarker.

BMC Cancer

Although the sample size is fairly large, due to the fact that the homophobia scale had to be analysed as ordinal data, it is still insufficient.

Behavior Genetics

Insufficient emotion.

The New Yorker

Insufficient evidence.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "fairly insufficient", ensure the context clearly indicates what the subject is insufficient for. Clarity prevents ambiguity and strengthens your statement.

Common error

Avoid using "fairly insufficient" when the deficiency is severe. The phrase implies a moderate lack, so stronger terms are more appropriate for significant inadequacies.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "fairly insufficient" functions as an adverb-adjective combination, where "fairly" modifies the adjective "insufficient". Ludwig AI highlights its use in describing the degree to which something falls short of being adequate. The phrase acts as a qualifier, indicating that the insufficiency is not absolute but rather to a moderate extent.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

33%

News & Media

33%

Formal & Business

33%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "fairly insufficient" is a grammatically correct phrase used to describe something that is moderately lacking. Ludwig AI confirms its usability in various contexts. While not extremely common, it appears in both scientific and news media sources. It's crucial to consider the degree of insufficiency when choosing this phrase, as it implies a moderate rather than severe lack. Alternatives like "somewhat inadequate" or "moderately lacking" may be more appropriate depending on the context. Remember to maintain clarity and precision when expressing degrees of insufficiency in your writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

somewhat inadequate

Replaces "fairly" with "somewhat", slightly softening the level of insufficiency.

moderately lacking

Uses "moderately" instead of "fairly", and "lacking" instead of "insufficient", indicating a similar degree of deficiency.

rather deficient

Substitutes "fairly" with "rather" and "insufficient" with "deficient", conveying a comparable level of inadequacy.

partially inadequate

Replaces "fairly" with "partially", suggesting that the insufficiency is not complete.

slightly limited

Uses "slightly" instead of "fairly" and "limited" instead of "insufficient", indicating a mild degree of inadequacy.

reasonably inadequate

Substitutes "fairly" with "reasonably", presenting a slightly more formal tone.

relatively lacking

Employs "relatively" instead of "fairly" and "lacking" instead of "insufficient", suggesting a comparison against a standard.

somewhat wanting

Uses "somewhat" instead of "fairly" and "wanting" instead of "insufficient", conveying a sense of something being missing or needed.

not quite sufficient

Emphasizes the lack of sufficiency by negating the positive, indicating it falls just short of being adequate.

marginally deficient

Uses "marginally" and "deficient" for a slightly more technical or formal tone, indicating a small degree of inadequacy.

FAQs

How can I use "fairly insufficient" in a sentence?

You can use "fairly insufficient" to describe something that is not quite enough or adequate for a particular purpose. For example, "The budget allocated for the project was "fairly insufficient" to cover all the necessary expenses".

What are some alternatives to "fairly insufficient"?

Alternatives to "fairly insufficient" include "somewhat inadequate", "moderately lacking", or "rather deficient". The best choice depends on the specific context and the desired nuance.

Is "fairly insufficient" a formal or informal expression?

"Fairly insufficient" is generally considered a neutral expression, suitable for both formal and informal contexts. However, in highly formal settings, consider alternatives like "reasonably inadequate" for a more sophisticated tone.

How does "fairly insufficient" differ from "completely insufficient"?

"Fairly insufficient" implies a moderate lack, whereas "completely insufficient" suggests a total absence or inadequacy. If something is "completely insufficient", it is entirely inadequate; if it's "fairly insufficient", it's merely somewhat lacking.