insignificant fraction

USAGE SUMMARY

"insignificant fraction" is correct and usable in written English. You can use it when referring to a very small part of a whole that is not important or relevant. For example, "The changes made an insignificant fraction of the overall budget." Alternative expressions include "negligible portion" and "minor segment."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

23 human-written examples

There are 15.6 million Americans in college; an insignificant fraction of them go to schools like Williams.

The New York Times - Magazine

From a consumer perspective this is an insignificant fraction of all the pornography hosted on the internet.

Independent

This seems to be happening again with the green climate fund pledges of $100bn a year from 2020 onwards, with current pledges only an insignificant fraction of that figure," he said.

The Guardian

The first was that if, for example, we invited schoolchildren into the lab, something we do regularly, then we would be "engaging'" with a statistically insignificant fraction of the public.

The Guardian

That's nothing to do with the internet: the arts are a terrible business, one where the majority of the income accrues to a statistically insignificant fraction of practitioners – a lopsided long tail with a very fat head.

The Guardian - Tech

A God-like entity called the Omega Point will, for benevolent reasons that slipped by me, resurrect us all as computer simulations: "The dead will be resurrected when the computer capacity of the universe is so large that the amount of capacity required to store all possible human simulations is an insignificant fraction of the entire capacity".

The New Yorker

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

37 human-written examples

What I have observed, I am sure, is not the product of bad luck: a not-insignificant fraction of people paying in cash (counting out change... for a while... holding up the line).

Huffington Post

Untreated A-07 and R-18 tumors show insignificant necrotic fractions but differ substantially in cell density [ 29].

BMC Cancer

The simulated results show that under low-flow velocity the single phase heat transfer fraction is insignificant in vapor generation rate.

International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer

icCIN genes were also enriched for essential genes and showed higher though statistically insignificant increase in the fraction of core complex proteins.

G3: Genes, Genomes, Genetics

The flexural strength was pseudo-linearly increased with increase in fiber volume fraction, despite an insignificant difference in the first cracking load.

Composite Structures

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "insignificant fraction", ensure the context clearly establishes the whole of which it is a part. For example, "An insignificant fraction of the budget was allocated to marketing."

Common error

Avoid using "insignificant fraction" when the portion, while small, has a disproportionately large impact. For example, if a small amount of a toxic substance contaminates a water supply, it may be an insignificant fraction of the total volume but still pose a significant threat.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "insignificant fraction" functions as a noun phrase, specifically an adjective modifying a noun. It describes a portion of something that is both small in size and lacking importance. This is consistent with examples provided by Ludwig, which indicate widespread usability.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

Science

36%

News & Media

50%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

4%

Reference

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "insignificant fraction" is a grammatically correct and frequently used noun phrase, which serves to describe a very small portion of a whole that is also unimportant. Ludwig AI categorizes it as correct and highlights its prevalent use across various domains, especially in News & Media and Science. When writing, ensure that the scale is well-understood and that you’re not minimizing the impact of a small part that has disproportionately large effects. Alternatives like "negligible portion" and "tiny percentage" can be used, depending on the nuance you wish to convey.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

negligible portion

Changes the noun from "fraction" to "portion", emphasizing the small size and unimportance.

minor segment

Replaces both adjectives with "minor" and "segment", indicating a small part of something.

tiny percentage

Substitutes "fraction" with "percentage" and "insignificant" with "tiny", highlighting the small proportion.

minimal amount

Uses "amount" instead of "fraction" and "minimal" instead of "insignificant", focusing on quantity.

small proportion

Swaps "fraction" with "proportion" and retains "small", emphasizing relative size.

trivial part

Replaces "insignificant" with "trivial", indicating a lack of importance, and "fraction" with "part".

marginal quantity

Uses "quantity" instead of "fraction" and "marginal" instead of "insignificant", focusing on the barely sufficient nature.

unimportant piece

Changes "insignificant" to "unimportant" and "fraction" to "piece", signifying a small and non-essential component.

minute quantity

Replaces "fraction" with "quantity" and "insignificant" with "minute", highlighting the extremely small size.

inconsequential bit

Substitutes both words for synonyms that still express smallness and lack of importance.

FAQs

How can I use "insignificant fraction" in a sentence?

You can use "insignificant fraction" to describe a very small portion of something that is not important. For example, "Only an insignificant fraction of the population was affected by the new policy."

What phrases are similar to "insignificant fraction"?

Similar phrases include "negligible portion", "minor segment", and "tiny percentage".

Is it better to use "insignificant fraction" or "small fraction"?

"Insignificant fraction" emphasizes that the portion is not only small but also unimportant, while "small fraction" simply indicates size. Choose the phrase that best reflects the intended meaning.

In what contexts is "insignificant fraction" most appropriate?

The phrase "insignificant fraction" is appropriate in contexts where you want to downplay the importance or impact of a small portion, often in comparison to a larger whole. Consider the formality of the context; while generally acceptable, more formal settings might benefit from a more precise term.