first discovered about

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "first discovered about" is not correct in standard written English.
It is typically used to indicate the approximate time or context in which something was first discovered, but the word "about" is unnecessary and awkward in this construction. Example: "The element was first discovered in the early 19th century."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

7 human-written examples

Metallic glass was first discovered about 50 years ago at Caltech.

The New York Times - Science

First discovered about 20 years ago by measuring the distances to exploding stars called supernovas, dark energy is a proposed type of force, or energy, that permeates all space and causes the expansion of the Universe to accelerate.

Harvard University

First discovered about 20 years ago by measuring the distances to exploded stars called supernovas, dark energy is a proposed type of force, or energy, that permeates all space and causes the expansion of the Universe to accelerate.

Harvard University

It was first discovered about 100 years ago and last seen in the 1970s.

Science Magazine

Ever since this odd class of planets was first discovered about 2 decades ago, scientists have wondered how gas giants, a type of planet found only in our outer solar system, end up in orbits so exceedingly close to their parent stars?

Science Magazine

First discovered about a decade ago, the largest known cave crystals single hunks of gypsum as much as 11 meters long, 1 meter thick, and weighing 55 tons could have taken up to 1 million years to grow, a new study suggests.

Science Magazine

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

53 human-written examples

Her ability to balance what inspires her, old or new, is so natural and so engaging that whatever you first discover about her is likely to lead to all of the other things that make her so unique.

Huffington Post

I first discovered it about 10 years and I've been re-reading it recently because it is so cleverly constructed.

The Guardian - Books

A22 Leak Disrupts Plant Operation The Indian Point 2 nuclear plant shut down its electricity production to repair a hydrogen leak in its non-nuclear operations that plant officials said was first discovered by workers about two weeks ago.

The New York Times

I first discovered Whisky Instagram about 4 years ago.

Forbes

This superfamily was first discovered in rodents about two decades ago [ 1].

BMC Genomics

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

For clarity and grammatical correctness, replace "first discovered about" with more precise phrasing such as "first discovered in" or "initially discovered around" followed by a specific time frame or context.

Common error

Avoid using "about" after "first discovered" as it often creates an awkward and unnecessary construction. Instead, use "in" to indicate a specific location or context, or "around" to indicate an approximate time.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "first discovered about" functions as an attempt to specify the approximate time or context of an initial discovery. However, according to Ludwig AI, the phrase is not grammatically correct in standard written English and often results in an awkward construction.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

43%

Science

29%

Academia

14%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

14%

Wiki

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "first discovered about" appears in various sources, Ludwig AI marks it as grammatically incorrect. Its purpose is to indicate the approximate time or context of a discovery, but it's better to use more grammatically sound alternatives like "first discovered in" or "initially discovered around". While various news sources and scientific articles use this phrase, it can weaken the writing because it can come across as awkward. Therefore, it is best to avoid using "first discovered about" and opt for clearer, more precise language.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

initially discovered around

Replaces "first" with "initially" and "about" with "around" for a more natural flow while maintaining the core meaning of the time period of discovery.

first found approximately

Uses "found" instead of "discovered" and "approximately" in place of "about" to denote an estimated time of discovery.

originally identified circa

Employs "originally identified" to indicate initial recognition, with "circa" specifying an approximate time.

discovered for the first time around

Adds emphasis on the newness of the discovery using "for the first time" while estimating the time of discovery with "around".

first unearthed roughly

Substitutes "discovered" with "unearthed" to suggest digging up something and uses "roughly" to approximate the period.

initially revealed sometime near

Replaces "discovered" with "revealed" and uses "sometime near" to denote that discovery was made near a certain time.

first recognized in the vicinity of

Uses "recognized" in place of "discovered" and "in the vicinity of" to specify approximate location, also implies a point in time.

was discovered primarily

Focuses on the initial act of discovery, but the meaning is altered to imply it was mainly found.

was pioneered close to

Presents an alternative emphasizing the pioneering aspect, but changes the main action from the discovery itself to its initial phase.

first conceived vaguely

Uses "conceived" to imply the beginning of an idea and "vaguely" to approximate the timeline

FAQs

What is the correct way to phrase "first discovered about"?

The phrase "first discovered about" is grammatically awkward. It's better to use phrases like "first discovered in" or "initially discovered around" for clarity.

What can I say instead of "first discovered about" to indicate an approximate time?

To indicate an approximate time, you can use phrases like "first discovered around" or "initially identified circa".

Is there a difference between "first discovered in" and "first discovered about"?

"First discovered in" is grammatically correct and typically refers to a location or context. "First discovered about" is generally considered awkward and should be avoided; instead, consider using alternatives like "initially discovered around".

How can I use "first discovered" correctly in a sentence?

Use "first discovered" with a preposition indicating location or time. For example, "The element was first discovered in 1898" or "The principle was "first discovered by" Newton".