for barely five years

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "for barely five years" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to emphasize a short duration of time, often implying that the time period is less than expected or significant. Example: "He has been living in the city for barely five years, yet he has already made a name for himself."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

The "Hollywood" sign had been up for barely five years when makers of "The Woman Disputed" (1928) sought to assuage Germany's concerns by changing the nationality of a villain from German to Russian.

The New Yorker

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

Death has loomed over pop almost from the minute that pop began: rock'n'roll had been a mainstream phenomenon for barely two years when Buddy Holly and Richie Valens died in February 1959.

The Guardian - Music

In the case of both, and of Barack Obama, who had been a US Senator for barely two years when he declared for the presidency, people said it was "too early".

Independent

Clegg comes over posh, but by instinct he is an outsider, dissing 'the fetid atmosphere of Westminster' and how he loves tramping the Dales near the Sheffield Hallam constituency he has represented for barely two years: 'Britain is much more liberal than the other parties recognise, and it could become much more liberal still.

The Guardian

Exposing disunity so dramatically challenges the state's narrative of political cohesion and strength at home and may, inadvertently, raise doubts in the minds of ordinary North Koreans about the stability of the new leadership, in power for barely two years.

BBC

Hope for Amy Pascal: Barely five years ago John Lesher was pushed out of Paramount.

Los Angeles Times

This was a distinct paradigm shift for a partnership barely five years old, created with a specific immunisation-related mandate.

Globalization and Health

He was barely five years old.

The New Yorker

Bitcoin is barely five years old.

BBC

So I went to the table reading and I could read all my lines on my own and for a barely five year old, that was pretty rare.

Huffington Post

Who'd want to buy Channel 5? Richard Desmond is hawking Channel 5 for an astonishing £700m barely three years after he bought the broadcaster from the Luxembourg-based media company RTL for a bargain £103.5m.

Independent

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When precision is crucial, consider using "for approximately five years" or "for nearly five years" instead, as "barely" can be somewhat subjective.

Common error

Avoid using "for barely five years" when the exact duration is essential. "Barely" implies a subjective assessment of brevity, which can undermine the clarity in contexts requiring precise information. For example, in a legal document or scientific report, replace it with a more specific phrasing.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "for barely five years" functions as an adverbial phrase modifying a verb or clause by specifying the duration of an action or state. Ludwig AI indicates the phrase is grammatically correct and usable.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Science

25%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "for barely five years" is a grammatically correct adverbial phrase used to emphasize that something has existed or occurred for a surprisingly short period. Ludwig AI confirms its validity. It's most commonly found in news and media contexts. While "barely" adds a nuance of subjective shortness, ensure it doesn't compromise clarity where precise durations are necessary. Alternatives like ""for just five years"" or ""for approximately five years"" can offer more neutral or precise alternatives depending on the context.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

for approximately five years

Replaces "barely" with "approximately", softening the emphasis on the brevity of the period.

for roughly five years

Substitutes "barely" with "roughly", indicating an estimated duration close to five years.

for just five years

Replaces "barely" with "just", emphasizing the shortness of the time.

for only five years

Uses "only" instead of "barely" to highlight the limited duration.

for almost five years

Shifts the focus to near completion of the five-year period, rather than its brevity.

for nearly five years

Similar to "almost", this indicates approaching the five-year mark.

for a little over five years

Adds a slight emphasis that duration is slightly more than five years.

in under five years

Changes the structure to specify that the entire duration was below the limit of five years.

not quite five years

Emphasizes the incompleteness of the five-year duration.

less than five years

States clearly that the period was shorter than five years without using "barely"

FAQs

What does "for barely five years" mean?

The phrase "for barely five years" suggests that something has existed or been happening for a short or surprisingly short period of time, close to five years but with an emphasis on it being a limited duration.

What can I say instead of "for barely five years"?

You can use alternatives like "for just five years", "for only five years", or "for approximately five years" depending on the desired nuance.

Is "for barely five year" grammatically correct?

No, the correct form is "for barely five years". The word "years" is plural because it refers to more than one year.

How can I emphasize the shortness of a time period?

You can emphasize the shortness of a time period by using phrases like "for only a few years", "in a short span of time", or "for barely any time".