moderately unusual

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "moderately unusual" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe something that is somewhat out of the ordinary or atypical, but not extremely so. Example: "The weather today is moderately unusual for this time of year, with temperatures reaching higher than expected."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Academia

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

They think that a moderately unusual occupation — alligator wrangling, sports-memorabilia hawking, storage-locker rummaging — and a camera are all that is necessary to make a watchable show.

The New York Times - Arts

Philip Corbett, the Times' deputy news editor, reminds us that the rate at which a word is defined depends on a variety of factors, like the popularity of a particular writer, article, or column: "If Tom Friedman uses some moderately unusual word (say, fealty), and I use a real head-scratcher on the same day (say, phlogiston), it's a good bet that more readers will look up his word".

The New Yorker

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

To get a window into the mathematical world of Lebesgue Measures and Haslam's own eclectic tastes we asked him to take us through his moderately sized but unusual stash of records.

Vice

The wine list is unusual, well chosen and moderately priced.

The New York Times - Arts

My wife and I, who are not big eaters or drinkers and who often share dishes in restaurants, have taken to dining out weekly as a couple at unusual or trendy, but moderately priced, spots.

The New York Times

BETHESDA, Md. — A competition between nuclear waste dumps has pulled the Nuclear Regulatory Commission into an unusual reconsideration of its rules to allow moderately radioactive materials to be diluted into a milder category that is easier to bury.

The New York Times

We show that using a combination of our techniques, unusual and interesting results can be generated for moderately sized scenes with under an hour of user time.

Stanford University

Singers perform collective dance songs in moderately blended unison, and some dance songs are unaccompanied, which is unusual among Indians in North America.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Likewise, AT content was only moderately higher at third-codon positions and 4FD sites of protein-encoding genes, a result unusual in comparison with many other protostomes where %AT can often exceed >80% at 4FD sites [ 44].

BMC Genomics

It is not ideal that our transition question ratings correlate moderately with follow-up scores, and slightly but in the same direction with the baseline score; nevertheless this is not an unusual finding.

BMC Medical Research Methodology

Moderately heavy.

The New York Times - Style

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing something as "moderately unusual", consider adding context to clarify the specific aspect that makes it so. This helps avoid ambiguity and ensures your audience understands the intended meaning.

Common error

Avoid using "moderately unusual" too frequently in your writing. Overuse can make your prose sound repetitive or contrived. Instead, vary your vocabulary with synonyms like "somewhat atypical" or "slightly uncommon" to maintain reader interest.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "moderately unusual" functions as an adverb-adjective combination. The adverb "moderately" modifies the adjective "unusual", indicating the degree to which something deviates from the norm. Ludwig AI confirms its usability and appropriateness.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Academia

25%

Science

25%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "moderately unusual" is used to describe something that deviates from the norm to a limited extent. As confirmed by Ludwig AI, it is grammatically correct and appropriate for various contexts, especially news and media, academia, and science. While not a very frequent expression, "moderately unusual" provides a nuanced way to describe something that is atypical without being extremely so. Consider alternatives like "somewhat atypical" or "slightly uncommon" to avoid overuse and add variety to your writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

somewhat atypical

This alternative replaces "moderately unusual" with synonyms that emphasize a slight deviation from the typical.

slightly uncommon

This phrase uses "slightly" instead of "moderately" and "uncommon" instead of "unusual" to express a similar degree of rarity.

fairly peculiar

This alternative replaces "unusual" with "peculiar", suggesting something is odd or strange to a limited extent.

relatively rare

This option swaps "unusual" with "rare", indicating infrequency in a comparative sense.

mildly eccentric

This phrase uses "eccentric" to suggest an unconventional nature, modified by "mildly" to indicate a limited degree.

a bit out of the ordinary

This is a more descriptive alternative, conveying the idea of something deviating slightly from what is expected.

noticeably different

This option shifts the focus to the aspect of difference, while "noticeably" suggests it is not a drastic change.

somewhat remarkable

This alternative uses "remarkable", which means worthy of attention, while "somewhat" restricts the degree.

kind of strange

This option provides an informal way of expressing mild unusualness.

slightly divergent

This alternative uses the word "divergent" to mean moving in a different direction or differing from a standard, modified by "slightly".

FAQs

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

You can use "moderately unusual" to describe something that deviates from the norm to a limited extent. For example, "The weather today is "moderately unusual" for this time of year, with temperatures reaching higher than expected."

What can I say instead of "moderately unusual"?

You can use alternatives like "somewhat atypical", "slightly uncommon", or "fairly peculiar" depending on the context.

Is "moderately unusual" the same as "very unusual"?

No, "moderately unusual" indicates something is somewhat out of the ordinary but not extremely so, whereas "very unusual" implies a high degree of deviation from the norm. They differ in the intensity of the deviation they describe.

Can "moderately unusual" be used in formal writing?

Yes, "moderately unusual" is appropriate for formal writing when you need to convey a nuanced description of something that is not entirely typical. However, consider the audience and context, and ensure the phrase aligns with the overall tone and style.