formally sound

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "formally sound" is correct and usable in written English.
It is typically used in contexts related to logic, mathematics, or formal systems to indicate that an argument or system adheres to the rules of formal logic. Example: "The proof presented in the paper is formally sound, ensuring that the conclusions drawn are valid based on the established axioms."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Artificial Intelligence

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

4 human-written examples

The initial impetus for creating the BioTop ontology was the idea of redesigning and expanding the GENIA ontology (Ohta et al., 2002) in a comprehensive and formally sound way, i.e. to adhere to the fundamental principles of formal rigor, explicitness and precision of ontological axioms.

Bioinformatics

Such solutions promote effective and formally sound methods for variability modeling and configuration management.

Information Systems

Our explanations are at once empirically motivated and formally sound, retaining the advantages of both artificial-intelligence and decision-theoretic representations for modeling decisions.

Artificial Intelligence

Another merit of the quantum field theory approach is that it avoids the restrictions of standard quantum mechanics in a formally sound way.

SEP

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

51 human-written examples

Formally, a sound query is annotated using tags from a vocabulary of semantic concepts.

EURASIP Journal on Audio, Speech, and Music Processing

In Obama's Unity speech, specific anecdotal evidence underpinned the broad message of hope, formally structured to sound as compelling as possible: The stories that give me such hope don't happen in the spotlight.

The Guardian

Hitler smothered Germany's musical magic by formally banning the sound and words of a genre the Fuhrer declared racially impure ("too many Jewish and Negroid influences" ).

Huffington Post

We then introduce a theoretically sound and formally robust approach to expand a given ontology with new dependency relations, which make available information regarding the non-ontological entities without affecting the consistency of the overall information system.

Computers in Industry

This assumes that rock can be marked off from other sorts of music formally, according to its sounds.

Encyclopedia Britannica

It says a lot — about Tesfaye's talents, and about the elasticity of pop music right now — that a monolith like Martin is willing to absorb the sound of a formally untested provocateur.

The New Yorker

Prover9 subsequently discovered a simpler, formally valid (if not necessarily sound) ontological argument from a single non-logical premise.

Wikipedia

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "formally sound" when referring to arguments, systems, or methods that adhere strictly to the principles of formal logic and exhibit validity in their structure.

Common error

Avoid using "formally sound" in casual conversation or informal writing. The phrase is best suited for academic, scientific, or technical contexts where precision and logical rigor are essential.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "formally sound" functions as an adjective phrase, modifying a noun to indicate that something adheres to the principles of formal logic and is structurally valid. Ludwig AI confirms its use in contexts requiring logical rigor.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

70%

News & Media

15%

Encyclopedias

10%

Less common in

Formal & Business

2%

Wiki

2%

Artificial Intelligence

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "formally sound" is an adjective phrase used to describe arguments, methods, or systems that adhere strictly to the principles of formal logic. As Ludwig AI highlights, the phrase is grammatically correct and most appropriately used in formal, scientific, or technical contexts. While "formally sound" may not be a frequent expression, understanding its precise meaning and proper application is crucial for ensuring clarity and accuracy in these specialized domains. Consider using alternative terms like "logically valid" or "theoretically robust" depending on the specific context to enhance clarity and precision.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

formally valid

Similar to "formally sound" but emphasizes validity rather than soundness which requires truth.

logically valid

Focuses specifically on the logical correctness of an argument or system.

structurally valid

Emphasizes the correct arrangement and relationships of components within a structure or system.

logically consistent

Emphasizes the absence of contradictions within a system or argument.

theoretically robust

Highlights the strong theoretical foundation and resilience of a concept or model.

axiomatically correct

Indicates adherence to established axioms or fundamental principles.

deductively valid

Focuses on the validity of a deduction, ensuring the conclusion follows logically from the premises.

well-founded

Implies a solid and reliable basis or justification.

rigorously proven

Highlights the thoroughness and accuracy of a proof.

systematically correct

Indicates adherence to a correct and methodical process.

FAQs

How to use "formally sound" in a sentence?

You can use "formally sound" to describe methods, arguments, or systems that adhere to the principles of formal logic. For example, "The proposed method provides a "formally sound" approach to data analysis."

What can I say instead of "formally sound"?

Alternatives include "logically valid", "theoretically robust", or "well-founded" depending on the context.

Which is correct, "formally sound" or "formally correct"?

"Formally sound" is typically used in the context of arguments or systems, while "formally correct" may refer to adherence to rules or procedures. The best choice depends on the specific context.

What's the difference between "formally valid" and "formally sound"?

Formally valid means that if the premises are true, the conclusion must be true. "Formally sound" means that the argument is valid and the premises are actually true.