insignificant progress

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "insignificant progress" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a situation where the advancements made are minimal or not meaningful in the context of a larger goal or objective. Example: "Despite months of effort, the team reported only insignificant progress on the project, leading to concerns about its viability."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

In fact, it has become very expensive, way beyond the budget of conservationists, way beyond the scope of our piecemeal projects and statistically insignificant progress.

The Guardian - Opinion

They may make insignificant progress when they are mixed in the same class with those who can read and write.

Unicef

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

54 human-written examples

Though, it needs to be noted that, in contrast to IOC, s-BOTs frequently affect younger patients and might, in certain rare but not insignificant cases, also progress into low grade IOC [ 1, 5].

BMC Cancer

The dams' 1,000 megawatts of generation are insignificant to making climate progress.

The New York Times

Loci are not referring to the (insignificant) relative changes characterizing progressing tumors listed on Table 3, except SFRP1 (8p11).

BMC Cancer

Due to only slow development of neuronal degeneration in the striatum of tgHD rats, the subsequent astrogliosis progresses also slowly with insignificant onset after 6 months of age of tgHD rats and becomes more distinct just in 18 24-month-old 18 24-month-old 18 24-month-old

BioMed Research International

To define the atherosclerotic plaque progression, we divided the following patients into the progression group: (1) patients who progressed from normal or insignificant angiogram to CAD; (2) Patients whose documented baseline lesions exacerbated in the same vessel; (3) Patients who progressed from their baseline CAD to new lesion(s) in a different vessel in one-year period.

Cardiovascular Diabetology

An insignificant downward shift for Microsoft would mean real progress for Apple.

Forbes

In general, the deduction of productivity owing to the scale dis-economy in China's industrial sector was 0.33 % per year on average, which was insignificant compared with the influence of frontier technology progress and TE improvement on productivity.

Journal of Chinese Studies

Any step in the direction of the ultimate goal is a good step to take, no matter how small or insignificant it may seem, it is always, always progress.

Huffington Post

Spearman rank correlations revealed statistically insignificant associations between vitamin B12 or holoTC and progressing years of age (p = 0.56 and p = 0.68).

BMC Geriatrics

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing the results of a study or experiment, use "insignificant progress" to clearly communicate that the observed changes were not statistically meaningful or practically relevant.

Common error

Avoid using "insignificant progress" when describing situations where any progress, however small, is still meaningful or valuable. Instead, consider using terms like "modest gains" or "incremental improvement" to acknowledge the positive change without overstating its impact.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "insignificant progress" typically functions as a noun phrase, where "insignificant" modifies the noun "progress". According to Ludwig AI, it describes the extent or degree of advancement, often highlighting its limited or negligible nature.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

33%

Science

33%

Formal & Business

33%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "insignificant progress" is a phrase used to describe minimal or negligible advancements. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness and usability across various contexts. While the phrase appears across multiple domains, including news, business, and scientific writing, its frequency is relatively rare. Related phrases include "minimal advancement" and "negligible improvement". When using "insignificant progress", it's crucial to avoid overstating the lack of importance and to consider alternative phrasing if any progress is still meaningful.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

minimal advancement

Replaces "progress" with "advancement", focusing on the act of moving forward but retaining the sense of it being minimal.

negligible improvement

Substitutes both "insignificant" and "progress" with synonyms that highlight the lack of notable change or betterment.

limited headway

Uses "headway" to mean progress, while "limited" conveys the small degree of advancement.

scant development

Employs "scant" to describe the minimal nature of the "development", emphasizing a lack of growth or unfolding.

meager gains

Focuses on the "gains" or benefits achieved, describing them as "meager" to show their small quantity.

trivial progress

Replaces "insignificant" with "trivial", which suggests the progress is of little importance or value.

slight advancement

Uses "slight" to denote a small degree of "advancement", keeping the concept of forward movement.

unsubstantial gains

Describes the "gains" as "unsubstantial", implying they lack a firm basis or significant amount.

marginal improvement

Highlights the "improvement" as being "marginal", suggesting it is barely noticeable or effective.

inconsequential development

Emphasizes that the "development" is "inconsequential", meaning it has little to no effect or importance.

FAQs

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

You can use "insignificant progress" to describe situations where advancements are minimal or inconsequential. For example, "Despite their efforts, the project showed only insignificant progress."

What are some alternatives to saying "insignificant progress"?

Alternatives include "minimal advancement", "negligible improvement", or "limited headway". The best choice depends on the specific context.

Is it always negative to describe something as "insignificant progress"?

Yes, describing something as "insignificant progress" generally carries a negative connotation, implying that efforts have not yielded meaningful results. It suggests that the advancements made are not worth noting or are far below expectations.

What's the difference between "insignificant progress" and "slow progress"?

"Insignificant progress" suggests that the progress made is so small as to be almost meaningless. "Slow progress", on the other hand, acknowledges that progress is being made, but at a slower pace than desired or expected.