imperfectly known

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "imperfectly known" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe something that is not fully understood or lacks complete information. Example: "The phenomenon of dark matter remains imperfectly known, leaving scientists with many unanswered questions."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

Encyclopedias

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

50 human-written examples

The chemical constitution of many pigments remains imperfectly known.

Britannica

The history of the Isle of Man is imperfectly known.

Encyclopedia Britannica

The soft parts of dinosaurs are only imperfectly known.

Encyclopedia Britannica

In most cases, though, the underlying conditions are either imperfectly known or not known at all.

The New Yorker

His hymns show traces of versification, the precise prosody of which is still imperfectly known.

Britannica

The nerves, blood vessels, and internal organs were very imperfectly known.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

10 human-written examples

This approach represents a new development in control theory and allows dealing with uncertain elements; which every dynamical system may contain, as well as with unknown or imperfectly know inputs and errors in state measurements.

Applied Mathematical Modelling

Sometimes he grieved at having to write about countries he had never visited, and at being expected, in the Guardian's tradition, to advocate how they should deal with problems he only imperfectly knew.

The Guardian

A large number (71) of these 132 different spacers (54%) were found that perfectly or imperfectly matched known integrative and conjugative elements (ICE), or prophages in other streptococcal genomes, especially in S. pyogenes (9.8%).

BMC Genomics

In case that the traffic loads for both kinds of traffic are known imperfectly, we should define a robust Bayesian threshold frontier by means of extending the previous integrals to include simultaneously the uncertainty model for both traffics.

EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking

Moreover, the performance analysis of cooperative schemes in such scenarios is especially interesting and called for because relaying introduces additional channels and hence increases the uncertainty in the model if the channels are known only imperfectly.

EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "imperfectly known", specify which aspects are unclear or what type of information is lacking for greater clarity. For instance, instead of stating "the mechanism is imperfectly known", specify "the exact molecular mechanism is imperfectly known".

Common error

Avoid using "imperfectly known" when there's significant evidence or research available. Instead, opt for phrases like "partially understood" or "requires further investigation" to accurately reflect the situation.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "imperfectly known" functions primarily as an adjective phrase modifying a noun. It describes the state of something that is not fully or completely understood. As Ludwig AI confirms, this is a correct and usable phrase in written English. Many of the examples show it describing scientific or historical phenomena.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

Science

40%

Encyclopedias

20%

News & Media

15%

Less common in

Academia

15%

Formal & Business

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "imperfectly known" is a grammatically correct and commonly used expression to describe subjects that lack complete understanding, as confirmed by Ludwig AI. It functions as an adjective phrase, primarily found in formal and scientific contexts, conveying uncertainty with precision. While "imperfectly known" implies some awareness, alternative phrases like "partially understood" or "incompletely known" can be used to convey similar meanings. To enhance clarity, it's best practice to specify the aspects that remain unclear. When writing, make sure that the use of "imperfectly known" matches the degree of uncertainty and is appropriately used.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

incompletely known

Highlights that the knowledge is not complete.

partially understood

Indicates that something is known to some extent, but not fully.

not fully understood

Emphasizes the incomplete nature of understanding.

not completely known

Stresses the absence of complete information.

vaguely understood

Suggests a lack of clarity in understanding.

imprecisely known

Emphasizes the lack of precision in the knowledge.

sketchily understood

Implies that only the basic outlines are known.

roughly understood

Highlights that the understanding is approximate.

partially recognized

Focuses on the incomplete recognition of something.

superficially understood

Suggests a lack of depth in the understanding.

FAQs

How can I use "imperfectly known" in a sentence?

You can use "imperfectly known" to describe something that is not fully understood or lacks complete information. For example: "The long-term effects of the treatment are still "imperfectly known"".

What can I say instead of "imperfectly known"?

You can use alternatives like "partially understood", "not fully understood", or "incompletely known" depending on the context.

Which is correct, "imperfectly known" or "imperfectly know"?

"Imperfectly known" is the correct phrasing. "Known" is the past participle of the verb "to know" and is used with the adverb "imperfectly". "Know" is the base form of the verb and does not fit grammatically in this context.

What's the difference between "imperfectly known" and "unknown"?

"Imperfectly known" suggests some information is available, but it's incomplete. "Unknown" implies no information is available at all.