moderately likely

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "moderately likely" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to express a probability or chance that is above low but below high, indicating a middle ground in likelihood. Example: "Based on the current data, it is moderately likely that we will meet our sales targets this quarter."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

7 human-written examples

"You've got two moderately likely outcomes, we don't know which it will be," he said.

The Guardian

The Nassau County Legislature is considering a somewhat less restrictive bill than Suffolk's: the no-go distance would be 1,000 feet, and only Level 2 offenders -- those considered moderately likely to commit another offense -- and Level 3 offenders would be covered.

The New York Times

Conclusion The NHS breast screening programme is only moderately likely to be cost effective at a standard threshold.

British Medical Journal

More than half of the respondents consider common individual CAM therapies to be beneficial and are at least moderately likely to recommend them.

BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Do you think you will smoke cigarettes 5 years from now? Response choices included (i) not at all, (ii) slightly likely, (iii) moderately likely, (iv) very likely, and (v) most likely.

BMC Public Health

When asked if they would recommend a dextrose tablet for a patient with fibromyalgia if trials had shown such treatment to be superior to no treatment, most respondents (58%, 381/654) said they would be very likely or moderately likely to recommend it.

British Medical Journal

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

53 human-written examples

Composite responses were devised for respondents designating 4 or more of the 6 CAM therapies as "very" or "moderately" beneficial or "very likely" or "somewhat likely" to recommend.

BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine

6 14 Comparable results were found by another study, 13 in which 53% perceived themselves as "not at all likely" or "somewhat likely" to have inherited a genetic predisposition to smoking, while 47% perceived themselves to be 'moderately' to 'extremely likely'.

BMJ Open

All in all, however, the left-side plots indicate that several replacements are moderately less likely under 64×4 mutation than under 4×4 mutation –instead of a few being markedly less likely– but the plots on the right show that several mutability differences favoring 64×4 mutation are nonetheless quite large.

Plosone

After May 13, the general outflow increased moderately, most likely due to the increased groundwater level.

Environmental Sciences Europe

The Newman's assortativity coefficient for IDU was 0.23 (95% CI 0.19- 0.26), suggesting that transwomen were moderately more likely to partner with people of the same IDU status.

BMC Infectious Diseases

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "moderately likely", ensure the context provides some basis for the likelihood, even if it's not a certainty. This adds credibility to your statement.

Common error

Avoid using "moderately likely" when the evidence strongly suggests a higher or lower probability. Accurate calibration enhances clarity and avoids misleading the reader.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "moderately likely" functions as an adverb-adjective combination used to qualify the probability of an event or outcome. As Ludwig AI states, the phrase is correct and usable in written English, indicating a probability that is above low but below high.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

55%

News & Media

35%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "moderately likely" is a useful phrase to describe an event that has a reasonable chance of occurring, falling between improbable and probable. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness and usability. It's most commonly found in scientific and news-related contexts. When using this phrase, ensure your context offers some basis for the stated likelihood, and avoid overstating the probability when the evidence suggests otherwise. Consider alternatives like "somewhat probable" or "fairly probable" for similar meanings.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

reasonably probable

Suggests a probability based on available evidence but not guaranteed.

fairly probable

Indicates a probability that is more than possible but less than certain.

somewhat probable

Implies a probability that is slightly better than even.

quite plausible

Suggests that something is believable and could easily happen.

possibly realistic

Highlights the possibility of something aligning with reality.

potentially viable

Focuses on the possibility of something succeeding or working.

conceivably achievable

Emphasizes that something can be imagined as reaching a goal.

within the realm of possibility

Highlights that something can be imagined or conceived as occurring.

not entirely improbable

Suggests that something has a chance, even if small, of occurring.

within reason

Indicates that something can happen within accepted standards of likelihood.

FAQs

How can I use "moderately likely" in a sentence?

You can use "moderately likely" to describe an event or outcome that has a reasonable chance of occurring, such as: "It is moderately likely that the project will be completed on time."

What phrases can I use instead of "moderately likely"?

You can use alternatives like "somewhat probable", "fairly probable", or "reasonably probable" depending on the context.

Is there a difference between "moderately likely" and "very likely"?

Yes, "very likely" indicates a high probability of something occurring, while "moderately likely" suggests a probability that is neither low nor high, representing a middle ground.

When is it appropriate to use "moderately likely" instead of "slightly likely"?

"Moderately likely" is suitable when there's a noticeable indication of a potential outcome, whereas "slightly likely" implies a weaker possibility. Choose "moderately likely" when the supporting evidence is more substantial.