in case of ambiguity

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "in case of ambiguity" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when addressing situations where there may be confusion or unclear meanings, suggesting a precautionary measure. Example: "In case of ambiguity, please refer to the glossary for clarification on terms used in this document."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

13 human-written examples

d) In case of ambiguity in the spatiality of the definition, example utterances were consulted.

Cognitive Research: Principles and Implications

In case of ambiguity, the definition shall be interpreted in favour of the person being investigated, prosecuted, or convicted'.

Journal of International Humanitarian Action

Mechanism In case of ambiguity of two or more concepts given the terms, we can employ a simple Naive Bayesian mechanism proposed by Song et al. [10].

Journal of Big Data

Now, what you'll hear about this one is a bit technical: that the Supreme Court in 2005 made a major decision known as "Brand X" establishing the precedent that, in case of ambiguity in the law (like how broadband companies should be defined), the courts would defer to any reasonable interpretation made by an expert agency like the FCC.

TechCrunch

A big premise of the government's argument is that, in case of ambiguity, courts should allow agencies like the IRS to make any reasonable interpretation of a law.

Huffington Post

In Lagrange's notation, the derivative with respect to of a function is denoted (read as "f prime of x") or (read as "f prime x of x"), in case of ambiguity of the variable implied by the derivation.

Wikipedia

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

47 human-written examples

The binary genetic profile of each patient was then mapped to the leaf nodes and reconstructed to inner nodes with the Sankoff algorithm implemented in RidgeRace, using a simple 0/1 cost matrix and the ACCTRAN principle in case of ambiguities (Felsenstein, 1985).

Bioinformatics

Reliability in the course of content analysis is achieved by involving several coders who discussed coding differences in cases of ambiguity (Seuring and Gold 2012).

Business Research

All mutations were confirmed by at least two independent PCR and sequencing reactions, and in cases of ambiguity, by direct sequencing of genomic DNA.

Plosone

Strain S. dysenteriae Sd197 was the most closely related to the O55/O157 strains, and strains CFT073, ED1a and 536 were the most closely related to the ExPEC strains (Figure 3), and in cases of ambiguity these were given priority in allocation.

Plosone

In cases of ambiguity, proteins were grouped into more than one category.

Clinical Proteomics

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "in case of ambiguity" to proactively address potential misunderstandings in documents, instructions, or agreements. Clear, preemptive language improves overall clarity and avoids later disputes.

Common error

Avoid using "in case of ambiguity" when you actually mean to resolve an existing ambiguity. This phrase sets a condition for future potential ambiguity, not a current, realized one. For present unclarity, use phrases like "to clarify" or "for the sake of clarity" instead.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "in case of ambiguity" serves as a conditional prepositional phrase. It introduces a scenario where uncertainty or lack of clarity might exist, prompting a subsequent action or instruction. Ludwig examples show its use in legal and scientific contexts.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

40%

News & Media

40%

Wiki

20%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "in case of ambiguity" is a prepositional phrase used to proactively address potential misunderstandings. As shown in Ludwig examples, it's most common in scientific, news, and wiki contexts. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness and highlights the importance of using it to set conditions for future ambiguity, rather than resolving present uncertainty. Alternatives include "if there's any ambiguity" and "in the event of ambiguity", depending on the level of formality desired.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

if there's any ambiguity

Rephrases the condition more directly using "if" instead of "in case of".

should ambiguity arise

Uses a more formal and hypothetical structure.

in the event of ambiguity

Employs a more formal tone and structure, suggesting a contingency.

where ambiguity exists

Directly states the condition using "where" to introduce the scenario.

when ambiguity is present

Similar to the previous one, but emphasizes the state of ambiguity.

if it's unclear

Simplifies the phrase to address lack of clarity directly.

if there is any doubt

Substitutes ambiguity with "doubt" to convey a similar lack of certainty.

when uncertain

Concise way of expressing a state of uncertainty.

given any uncertainty

Highlights that uncertainty is a condition that should be considered.

in situations of unclear meaning

Expands on the concept of ambiguity to refer to unclear meaning.

FAQs

How can I use "in case of ambiguity" in a sentence?

You can use "in case of ambiguity" to introduce a precautionary measure or clarification. For example, "In case of ambiguity, please consult the definitions section of this document."

What's a more formal alternative to "in case of ambiguity"?

A more formal alternative is "in the event of ambiguity". This phrasing is suitable for legal or official documents.

Is "in case of ambiguity" the same as "if there is ambiguity"?

They are very similar. "If there is ambiguity" is slightly more direct, while "in case of ambiguity" sets a more proactive tone.

When should I not use "in case of ambiguity"?

Avoid using "in case of ambiguity" when the ambiguity is already present and needs immediate clarification. Instead, use phrases like "to clarify" or "for clarity".