for the xth time

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "for the xth time" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to indicate that something has happened repeatedly, emphasizing the number of times it has occurred. Example: "I've told you for the third time to clean your room."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

For the xth time today, a birdie putt goes skating by the hole from a very makeable distance.

The Guardian - Sport

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

In these equations, ρ i (t) and ρ i are the failure-detection/switching reliabilities at time t for scenarios 1 and 2, respectively; (r_{{i,z_{i} }} (t)) is the reliability of component j used for subsystem i at time t and (f_{{i,z_{i} }}^{(x)} (u)) is the pdf for the xth failure of component j used for subsystem i, i.e., sum of x i.i.d component failure times.

Journal of Industrial Engineering International

In Eq. (7) and (8), w cx and w sx denotes the weighting factor for the damage index of the extreme concrete and steel fiber for the xth element on each story respectively.

International Journal of Concrete Structures and Materials

The expression pattern suggests a specific role for the XTH gene in the cell wall rearrangements that preceed and accompany the increase in fruit growth rate and softening in Stage III.

Horticulture Research

For fFFT, a thread block b x, y) is responsible for processing the xth segment's data of the yth channel with x(in )[0, d) and y(in )[0, m).

Journal of Internet Services and Applications

For the second time.

The New York Times

For each position x, the xth window of ORFs was considered to be a rare codon cluster if the %Min value was at least -10%Min, the point where enrichment of rare codons becomes statistically significant in E. coli [ 6].

BMC Genomics

For the time being.

Forbes

In the above equations, D cx and D sx denotes concrete and reinforcing steel damage index respectively on the xth element for each story and superscripts B and C denote beam and column elements.

International Journal of Concrete Structures and Materials

The XTH genes differentially expressed for G in roots correspond to OsXTH2, OsXTH9, and OsXTH11, which are members of a 15-member XTH gene family in rice (Yokoyama et al. 2004).

Rice

Then, for each indicator, the thresholds are fixed at the Xth percentile of the values in the dataset.

EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "for the xth time" to emphasize the number of times something has occurred, especially when expressing frustration or highlighting repetition. For example, "For the third time, I've asked you to take out the trash."

Common error

Avoid using "for the xth time" when a specific ordinal number is known. It's better to say "for the third time" instead of "for the xth time" when you know it's the third occurrence. The 'xth' is more appropriate when the exact count is unknown or being generalized.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "for the xth time" functions as an adverbial phrase, modifying a verb by indicating frequency. It specifies the repetition of an action or statement. As indicated by Ludwig AI, it signals that something has occurred multiple times.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

50%

News & Media

30%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Wiki

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "for the xth time" serves as an adverbial phrase to denote repetition, frequently carrying a tone of exasperation. As Ludwig AI confirms, it's grammatically correct and sees use across different contexts, though it appears more frequently in scientific and news media. Alternative phrases like "for the nth time" or "for the umpteenth time" can be used for similar effect. When using this phrase, make sure it adds emphasis to the repetition and avoid using it when the exact number is known for better clarity.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

for the nth time

Uses 'nth' to denote an unspecified but high number of repetitions.

for the umpteenth time

Emphasizes a very high, almost uncountable number of repetitions.

repeatedly

A simple adverb indicating that something happens over and over.

time and time again

Highlights the recurring nature of an event or action.

over and over

A more informal way to express that something happens many times.

on numerous occasions

Suggests a significant number of instances.

countless times

Indicates that the number of repetitions is too high to count.

frequently

A general term for something that occurs often.

again and again

Similar to 'time and time again', but slightly less formal.

on several occasions

Implies that something has happened more than once or twice.

FAQs

How can I use "for the xth time" in a sentence?

Use "for the xth time" to emphasize repetition, often with a sense of frustration. For example, "For the xth time, I'm reminding you about the deadline."

What does "for the xth time" mean?

It means that something has happened or been said repeatedly, with 'x' representing an unspecified number. It's often used to express exasperation or to highlight the frequency of an event.

What phrases are similar to "for the xth time"?

Alternatives include "for the nth time", "for the umpteenth time", and "time and time again". These phrases also emphasize repetition.

Is it better to use "for the xth time" or a specific number?

If you know the exact number, use that specific number (e.g., "for the third time"). Use "for the xth time" when the exact number is unknown or when you want to generalize.