is potentially lost

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "is potentially lost" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to indicate that something may be lost or at risk of being lost, often in contexts involving uncertainty or risk assessment. Example: "Due to the unexpected storm, valuable data from the research project is potentially lost."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

11 human-written examples

Childhood memory is often indelible, but historical memory is potentially lost with every new child.

The New Yorker

We conclude by exploring what is potentially lost or gained from rewriting financially the emotional cues of the family home.

Emotion, Space and Society

E-mail address GO SIGN UP Share Tweet Childhood memory is often indelible, but historical memory is potentially lost with every new child.

The New Yorker

A no-show is potentially lost revenue, and this can often come down to simple forgetfulness.

TechCrunch

By making this generalization, the influence of land cover types covering small fractions of a pixel is potentially lost when pixels are classified.

Carbon Balance and Management

If the largest singular value of the mapping B k is larger than one, (tilde {gamma }) will not remain bounded for N, growing to infinity, and thus robustness is potentially lost.

EURASIP Journal on Advances in Signal Processing

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

49 human-written examples

Young writers who win some acclaim for a first or second play will probably continue to head west before they have had time to develop, which means the theater is potentially losing important voices before they mature.

The New York Times

In conclusion, the president must start talking to young voters or is potentially losing a final push that could put his legislation through the Congress.

Huffington Post

Capability, which can be decades in development and expect to enjoy a significant operational life expectancy, may be potentially lost over night.

The Guardian - Opinion

The user can choose to have the destination mode always animate to the center so that the user's activity is always visible instead of being potentially lost in the fringe, or retain navigational control if the goal is to understand the traffic in a local area.

Stanford University

We thus predicted, under the beekeeping activity: i) a reduction in the complexity of the plant-pollinator web, quantifiable as a decrease in connectance (C), diversity of interactions (H'), and linkage density (LD), since some species and interactions are potentially lost through resource competition.

Nature

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "is potentially lost", ensure the context clearly indicates the conditions or factors that make the loss possible. Providing specific details strengthens the statement and avoids ambiguity.

Common error

Avoid using "is potentially lost" when the loss is almost certain. This phrase implies a possibility, not a certainty. If the loss is highly probable, consider using stronger language such as "is likely to be lost" or "is almost certainly lost".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "is potentially lost" functions as a descriptive expression, indicating a state where something is at risk of being irrecoverable. It combines a state-of-being verb with an adverb of possibility and a past participle adjective.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

42%

News & Media

36%

Academia

9%

Less common in

Formal & Business

6%

Wiki

1%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "is potentially lost" is grammatically correct and serves to express a possibility or risk of something being lost. Ludwig AI confirms its validity. While it is not overly common, appearing most frequently in scientific and news-related contexts, it's a versatile expression suitable for various registers. To enhance clarity, specify the factors contributing to the potential loss. Avoid using this phrase when the loss is highly probable; instead, opt for stronger language like "is likely to be lost".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

could be lost

Changes the verb "is" to "could be", indicating a possibility of loss.

may be lost

Replaces "is potentially" with "may be", suggesting a possibility rather than a certainty of being lost.

might be lost

Substitutes "potentially" with "might", indicating a degree of uncertainty regarding the loss.

is at risk of being lost

Replaces "potentially lost" with a more descriptive phrase indicating the risk of loss.

is in danger of being lost

Uses "in danger" instead of "potentially", emphasizing a higher level of threat.

faces the risk of being lost

Emphasizes the risk aspect and slightly changes the sentence structure.

is liable to be lost

Uses "liable" which implies a higher probability of being lost than "potentially".

is subject to being lost

Emphasizes that something is under the influence or control of factors that could lead to its loss.

runs the risk of being lost

Implies that something is actively incurring the risk of loss.

is susceptible to loss

Highlights the vulnerability of something to being lost.

FAQs

How can I rephrase "is potentially lost" to sound more formal?

To sound more formal, you can replace "is potentially lost" with phrases like "is at risk of being lost" or "is in danger of being lost", which add a more serious tone.

What's the difference between "is potentially lost" and "is likely to be lost"?

"Is potentially lost" indicates a possibility of loss, while "is likely to be lost" suggests a higher probability. The phrase "is likely to be lost" conveys a stronger expectation of loss.

Can I use "is potentially lost" in academic writing?

Yes, "is potentially lost" is acceptable in academic writing. However, ensure the context supports the use of "potentially," and consider whether a more precise term like "may be lost" or "might be lost" would be more appropriate.

What are some common synonyms for "is potentially lost"?

Common synonyms include "could be lost", "may be lost", "might be lost", and "is at risk". The best choice depends on the specific nuance you want to convey.