fragmentary understanding

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "fragmentary understanding" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a limited or incomplete grasp of a subject or concept. Example: "His fragmentary understanding of the theory led to several misconceptions during the discussion."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

12 human-written examples

Medical experts have as yet a fragmentary understanding of hormone therapy, and the conventional wisdom about it seems to shift as often as the wind.

The New York Times - Health

Capturing them gives us a fragmentary understanding about current user contexts and can be used to induce a general understanding about the user.

Human-centric Computing and Information Sciences

Despite the tremendous complexity of the bone regulatory system and its fragmentary understanding, we obtain surprisingly good correlations between the model simulations and the experimental observations extracted from the literature.

Journal of Theoretical Biology

Zoom out to cosmology and physics and you face our fragmentary understanding of nearly everything.

Huffington Post

A frequent objection to this class of methods is that they cannot be applied to cases where little is known about the molecular basis of the phenotype (no confirmed disease genes, fragmentary understanding of the biological cascades involved).

Plosone

Recently, computational methods to identify (prioritize) the most promising candidates within a region have been proposed, but they are usually not applicable to cases where little is known about the phenotype (no or few confirmed disease genes, fragmentary understanding of the biological cascades involved).

Plosone

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

48 human-written examples

The taxonomy of precious corals is particularly enigmatic, because many species were described based on small deep-sea fragmentary samples, limiting our understanding of their real intra-colony and intraspecific variation [ 21].

BMC Evolutionary Biology

However, the development of drug resistance appears to be a multifactorial process, so our understanding is still fragmentary.

British Journal of Cancer

The process of finding meaning in what has happened, and of understanding and living with fragmentary memories, is a challenge to patients that suffer from an injury.

BMC Nursing

Although many studies have tried to dissect the regulatory roles and molecular mechanisms of calpain-dependent cleavage, in fact our understanding of calpain is still fragmentary.

Plosone

The current understanding of NAFLD is still fragmentary.

BioMed Research International

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "fragmentary understanding", clarify what specific aspects are lacking or incomplete to provide more context for your reader.

Common error

Avoid using "fragmentary understanding" when the understanding is completely absent. Instead, opt for phrases like "lack of understanding" or "no understanding at all".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "fragmentary understanding" functions as a noun phrase, where "fragmentary" modifies the noun "understanding". It typically describes the extent or quality of comprehension regarding a particular subject or concept.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

70%

News & Media

20%

Encyclopedias

10%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "fragmentary understanding" is a noun phrase used to describe an incomplete or limited comprehension of a topic. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness and common usage in formal, especially scientific and news & media contexts. While semantically similar phrases like "partial knowledge" or "limited comprehension" exist, "fragmentary understanding" specifically emphasizes the broken or incomplete nature of the understanding. When using the phrase, ensure that the context clarifies the specific aspects that are lacking or incomplete.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

incomplete grasp

Emphasizes the lack of complete comprehension.

limited comprehension

Highlights the restricted scope of understanding.

partial knowledge

Focuses on having only some of the required knowledge.

sketchy understanding

Suggests a vague and ill-defined understanding.

rudimentary understanding

Implies a basic and undeveloped level of understanding.

imperfect understanding

Highlights that the understanding is flawed or not fully accurate.

superficial understanding

Denotes a lack of depth in understanding.

patchy knowledge

Emphasizes that knowledge is unevenly distributed or incomplete.

hazy understanding

Suggests that the understanding is unclear or confused.

vague notion

Highlights the lack of a clear or precise idea.

FAQs

How can I use "fragmentary understanding" in a sentence?

You can use "fragmentary understanding" to describe a situation where someone has an incomplete or limited grasp of a subject. For example, "Due to limited research, our understanding of the disease remains fragmentary."

What are some alternatives to "fragmentary understanding"?

Alternatives include "partial understanding", "incomplete understanding", or "limited knowledge". The best choice depends on the specific context.

Is it appropriate to use "fragmentary understanding" in formal writing?

Yes, "fragmentary understanding" is suitable for formal writing, especially in academic or scientific contexts where acknowledging the limitations of current knowledge is important.

What's the difference between "fragmentary understanding" and "misunderstanding"?

"Fragmentary understanding" means having an incomplete grasp of something, while "misunderstanding" means having an incorrect understanding. They are distinct concepts.