give less weight to

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "give less weight to" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when discussing the importance or significance of something, indicating that it should be considered less important than other factors. Example: "In this analysis, we should give less weight to anecdotal evidence and focus on the statistical data."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

18 human-written examples

Many lenders, in examining financial statements, give less weight to a lease obligation than to a loan obligation.

Encyclopedia Britannica

"People give less weight to the future, but that's a brain bug," the philosopher Peter Singer told me.

The New York Times

At the very least, insurers should give less weight to non-driving factors in setting premiums, he said.

The New York Times

The rise in prices was less than expected, but some economists said the data was difficult to judge because the statistics bureau recalculated the index to give less weight to food costs and more weight to housing costs.

The New York Times

The Supreme Court dismissed an appeal by Nicolas Granatino, a former JPMorgan Chase banker, asking the court to give less weight to an agreement he signed with Katrin Radmacher, a wealthy German heiress, before they married in 1998 that said that neither should profit from the wealth of the other.

The New York Times

We compare the alignments produced by the matchers and give less weight to the matchers producing mutually similar alignments, whereas more weight is given to those matchers whose alignment is distinct and rather unique.

Web Semantics: Science, Services and Agents on the World Wide Web

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

42 human-written examples

This gives less weight to the tall poppies.But it is June 11th.

The Economist

As a result, the school now gives less weight to the test.

The New York Times

As an income measure, it gives less weight to the poor but the poor are more vulnerable to climate change than the rich.

The Economist

"He sought competence, experience and creativity and gave less weight to politics or ideology," recalled Scott Helman, a veteran Romney-watcher for The Boston Globe.

The New York Times

This shift in perspective, labelled the New Paradigm in a memo written by Alberto Gonzales, then the White House counsel, "places a high premium on . . . the ability to quickly obtain information from captured terrorists and their sponsors in order to avoid further atrocities against American civilians," giving less weight to the rights of suspects.

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "give less weight to", ensure that you explicitly state what factors should be given more weight for clarity.

Common error

Avoid repeatedly using "give less weight to" within the same paragraph or section. Vary your language with synonyms like "de-emphasize" or "downplay" to maintain reader engagement.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "give less weight to" functions as a verb phrase used to indicate the act of diminishing the importance or significance of something. Ludwig confirms its validity in various contexts.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

Science

41%

News & Media

35%

Formal & Business

6%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

6%

Wiki

6%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "give less weight to" is a grammatically sound and commonly used expression to indicate that something should be considered less important in relation to other factors. Ludwig AI confirms its wide usability. It is primarily used in science, news, and business contexts, and a variety of alternative phrases such as "place less emphasis on" or "downplay" can be used for stylistic variation. Remember to clearly indicate which factors should receive more weight when using this phrase for maximum clarity.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

place less emphasis on

Changes the verb from "give weight" to "place emphasis", offering a more direct substitution focusing on importance.

attach less importance to

Changes the verb to "attach" but maintains the core concept of reduced importance.

de-emphasize

Uses a single verb to convey the action of reducing importance.

downplay

Similar to "de-emphasize", but suggests an intent to make something appear less significant.

minimize the importance of

Rephrases the concept using "minimize" to indicate a reduction in importance.

consider less significant

Shifts the focus to the act of considering something as less significant.

reduce the significance of

Focuses on diminishing the overall significance rather than just the weight.

discount

Implies disregarding or reducing the effect of something.

overlook

Suggests neglecting something, implying it's not considered important.

set less store by

An idiomatic expression indicating a lower valuation or importance.

FAQs

How can I use "give less weight to" in a sentence?

You can use "give less weight to" when you want to indicate that something should be considered as less important than something else. For example: "In this analysis, we should "give less weight to" anecdotal evidence and focus on statistical data."

What's a more formal way to say "give less weight to"?

A more formal way to say "give less weight to" is to say "place less emphasis on". This sounds more academic and professional.

What can I say instead of "give less weight to" when writing?

You can use alternatives like "de-emphasize", "downplay" or "minimize the importance of depending on the context".

When is it appropriate to "give less weight to" something?

It's appropriate to "give less weight to" a factor or piece of information when it's less reliable, relevant, or significant compared to other factors in a particular context.