half of the official

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "half of the official" is not correct and does not convey a clear meaning in written English.
It may be intended to refer to a portion of something official, but without additional context, it is ambiguous and unclear. Example: "The report was only half of the official document that was required for submission."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Wiki

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

9 human-written examples

More than half of the official team charities do not pay salaries to the employees who run them.

The New York Times

More than half of the official team charities in baseball do not pay a salary to the employees who run them.

The New York Times - Sports

These are the folks trying to make it on incomes below half of the official poverty line, which is $22,000 annually for a family of four.

The New York Times

Thomas Rawski of the University of Pittsburgh estimates that growth in 2001 may have been between 3% and 4%, or about half of the official figure.In a paper published late last year, Mr Rawski says that the National Bureau of Statistics "lacks the capacity to collect data outside normal information channels", and its surveys are subject to interference from lower-level officials.

The Economist

Thanks to Lucas, half of the official Star Wars story is unsalvageable dreck — but it's canonical dreck, which means it can't simply be shunted into an alternative timeline in the style of Abrams' "Star Trek," or dropped down the memory hole the way say, Joel Schumacher's "Batman" movies were when Christopher Nolan set about making "Batman Begins".

The New York Times

After having just watched the first half of the official season review, rookie di Resta got the better of Sutil the majority of the time.

BBC

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

51 human-written examples

More than half of the officials said that e-mail brought them into contact with individuals from whom they had never heard before and that the electronic communication improved their relations with community groups.

The New York Times - Tech

Liberia accounts for more than half of all the official Ebola deaths, with a total of 2,458.

The Guardian

In July 2016 the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers gave its approval for the pipeline to run within a half mile of the "official" boundary of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe.

Huffington Post

Researchers estimate that $69bn – more than half of the total official development assistance – is spent each year buying goods and services for development projects.

The Guardian

"Upon leaving office," he notes, "more than half of the senior officials in the Clinton administration became corporate lobbyists".

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using the phrase "half of the official", ensure the noun being modified is explicitly stated for clarity. For example, "half of the official estimate" is clearer than "half of the official".

Common error

Avoid using "half of the official" without specifying what "official" refers to. This can lead to ambiguity. Instead, provide the full context, such as "half of the official budget" or "half of the official count".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "half of the official" acts as a partitive modifier, indicating a proportion or fraction in relation to a figure or information that has been formally recognized or declared. According to Ludwig AI, the phrase is not correct and does not convey a clear meaning in written English.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

40%

Wiki

30%

Science

30%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Academia

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "half of the official" refers to 50% of a formally recognized figure, yet often lacks clarity without specifying what is official. Ludwig AI highlights that the phrase is not entirely correct and can be ambiguous. Though frequently found in News & Media, Wiki, and Science contexts, it's vital to provide context for precision. Alternatives like "approximately half" or using percentages offer clearer communication. While the phrase appears in authoritative sources, its use should be carefully considered to avoid vagueness.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

approximately half of the official

Adds an element of approximation, softening the claim's precision.

nearly half of the official

Similar to 'approximately,' but implies a value slightly less than half.

around half of the official

Indicates an estimated quantity, suggesting a range around the halfway point.

about half the official

Simplified version, omitting 'of the' for a more concise expression.

half the official

Removes "of the" to simplify the phrase.

half of what officials claim

Shifts focus to the source of the official figure, implying potential skepticism.

half of the officially reported

Emphasizes that the figure is one that has been formally documented or announced.

half of what is officially recognized

Highlights the aspect of formal acknowledgment or validation.

fifty percent of the official

Uses a percentage for greater numerical clarity.

a fraction of the official

Suggests the quantity is less specific and potentially smaller than half.

FAQs

How can I use "half of the official" in a sentence?

For correct usage, specify the noun being quantified. For example: "The unofficial estimate is "half of the official figure"" or "Half of the official amount was recovered".

What is a more precise way to say "half of the official"?

You could use "approximately 50% of the official [statistic]", or "about "half the official [statistic]"", replacing [statistic] with the appropriate noun.

Is it better to use a percentage or "half of the official"?

Using a percentage can often be clearer, especially in technical contexts. However, "half of the official [statistic]" is acceptable in general writing when precision isn't critical.

What does "official" mean in the phrase "half of the official"?

In this context, "official" usually refers to information or data released or sanctioned by an authority, such as a government agency or organization.