minor uncertainty

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "minor uncertainty" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a small or insignificant level of doubt or lack of clarity regarding a situation or outcome. Example: "There is a minor uncertainty regarding the project's timeline, but we expect to meet our deadlines."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

7 human-written examples

Model uncertainty can be categorized as dominant uncertainty due to structural variation, such as joint uncertainty and temperature change, and minor uncertainty associated with other factors.

Journal of Sound and Vibration

As the TSS is determined through the length of the amplified fragment comparing its migration with that of size markers, there can be a minor uncertainty (2-4 nucleonides) on the exact nucleotide from which transcription starts.

Plosone

This minor uncertainty also affects the accuracy of our predictions of the regions in the extracellular and cytoplasmic regions.

FASEB Journal

The results suggest only minor uncertainty in the KM survivor function and median duration of use caused by recall error.

American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene

We assume that a large number of clinical trials have been performed over the years for drugs A and B and that therefore there is only minor uncertainty surrounding their clinical performance.

BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making

Inspection of the trends indicates that some curvature can be detected in, for example, the case of the CF3-substituted Grignard, introducing a minor uncertainty in krel for this substituent, but it is clear from the plot that the possible deviation between the slopes in the initial and final phases of the reaction are too small to affect the conclusions drawn in this study.

Chemistry - A European Journal

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

53 human-written examples

The proposed approach can be used to differentiate between dominant and minor uncertainties.

Journal of Sound and Vibration

To clear these minor uncertainties, the structural monitoring department of Basler & Hofmann was approached to install a fibre optical structural monitoring system on the most exposed steel/glass roof structure (GD 5) of the train terminal, so that the influence of high wind loads on its behaviour could be monitored.

Engineering Failure Analysis

Because our analyses used the best available data and these systematic consistency checks, we are confident that the overall results are robust, although minor uncertainties may remain for single elements of our assessment.

Global Environmental Change

There was no disagreement in the expert group about the correct response to each case, but some minor uncertainties had to be settled before the written cases were finally ready to be used.

BMJ Quality and Safety

Medical diagnosis were rated into three levels of clinical diagnostic certainty as complete ('golden standard') certainty (Group L1), minor diagnostic uncertainty (Group L2), and major diagnostic uncertainty (Group L3).

Critical Care

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "minor uncertainty", quantify the uncertainty if possible. For example, specify a range or percentage to give the reader a better sense of the scale of the uncertainty.

Common error

Avoid exaggerating the consequences of a "minor uncertainty". Ensure your language reflects the limited significance of the uncertainty to maintain credibility.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "minor uncertainty" functions as a noun phrase where the adjective "minor" modifies the noun "uncertainty". This describes a state of limited or small doubt. Ludwig examples show its use across various domains to qualify the extent of uncertainty.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

70%

News & Media

20%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "minor uncertainty" is a grammatically sound and usable phrase in English, as confirmed by Ludwig. It describes a situation where a small degree of doubt or lack of clarity exists. While not exceedingly common, the phrase is appropriate for formal and scientific writing and is found across several domains, including science and news media. The phrase is used to acknowledge potential imprecision while minimizing the perceived impact. Alternatives such as "slight doubt" or "small ambiguity" can be used depending on the specific context. When using "minor uncertainty", it's important to quantify the uncertainty whenever possible and avoid overstating its potential impact.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

slight doubt

Focuses on the feeling of doubt rather than the level of uncertainty.

small ambiguity

Emphasizes the lack of clarity or precision.

limited uncertainty

Highlights the restricted scope or degree of uncertainty.

marginal uncertainty

Suggests the uncertainty is at the edge or boundary of significance.

negligible uncertainty

Indicates the uncertainty is so small it can be ignored.

minimal doubt

Emphasizes the low level of doubt present.

inconsequential uncertainty

Highlights the unimportance of the uncertainty.

trivial uncertainty

Suggests the uncertainty is insignificant and not worth worrying about.

secondary uncertainty

Focuses on the uncertainty being of secondary importance compared to other factors.

petite uncertainty

A less common, more descriptive way to characterize a small uncertainty.

FAQs

How can I use "minor uncertainty" in a sentence?

You can use "minor uncertainty" to describe situations where there is a small degree of doubt or imprecision. For example, "There is a "minor uncertainty" regarding the project's exact completion date."

What are some alternatives to saying "minor uncertainty"?

Some alternatives include "slight doubt", "small ambiguity", or "limited uncertainty", depending on the specific context.

Is it better to say "minor uncertainty" or "small uncertainty"?

Both "minor uncertainty" and "small uncertainty" are acceptable. The choice depends on your preferred style and the nuance you wish to convey. "Minor" might suggest slightly less impact than "small."

What is the difference between "minor uncertainty" and "major uncertainty"?

"Minor uncertainty" refers to a small or insignificant degree of doubt, while "major uncertainty" indicates a significant and potentially impactful lack of clarity or predictability.