modestly different from

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "modestly different from" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a slight or subtle difference between two things. Example: "The new design is modestly different from the previous version, incorporating a few updated features."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

8 human-written examples

It is conservative to compare FST to the entire HapMap, since as we show in Supplementary Material, Fig. S2, it is only modestly different from ENCODE, and the difference is in the direction that the HapMap distribution has more SNPs with high FST values.

Human Molecular Genetics

The Mid-250 index will also look modestly different from today; with Sears falling into private hands, advertising firm Saatchi & Saatchi (up 1.2p to 165p) joins the grouping.

The Guardian - Business

But even now, Taiwan's culture bears a heavy Japanese influence and the Mandarin on Taiwan is modestly different from that of the mainland.

The New York Times

While Japanese officials said the agreement was only modestly different from a proposal they had made in January, their American counterparts noted that it provided for significantly deeper cuts than the 17 percent reduction Japan had offered previously.

The New York Times

On the other hand some of the ΔH values for the mismatches were modestly different from the reference values.

BMC Genomics

Our results indicate that, at least at a transcript level, these groups are only modestly different from HER2 IHC 0 cases.

Breast Cancer Research

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

52 human-written examples

These datasets must come from experiments that do not alter the functional characteristics of the fluxes in the system but might, for instance, measure system responses under modestly different substrate or inhibitor conditions.

BMC Systems Biology

60 AAT methods standardized to this new reference material will yield results that are modestly different.

Application of Clinical Genetics

Although the level of primary and secondary job holding declined in the Great Recession, the aggregate MJH rate declined only modestly, not markedly different from declines seen prior to 2008 and after 2010.

IZA Journal of Labor Economics

The addition of the individual-level variables to the fixed part of the model reduced the variance at the school level only modestly and it remained significantly different from zero ( <img src="http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/asset?id=info?doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0008512.e020.PNG" class= inline-graphic"/>  = inline-graphic

Plosone

Even if they interact modestly, then missing heritability estimates could be somewhat different from current understanding.

Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing a slight change or variation, consider using "modestly different from" to indicate that the essential nature of the subject remains largely the same.

Common error

Avoid using "modestly different from" when the differences are substantial or significant. Opt for stronger terms like "significantly different" or "completely different" to accurately reflect the degree of variation.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "modestly different from" functions as a comparative adjective phrase. It's used to describe the degree of difference between two entities, indicating that the difference is small or subtle. Ludwig confirms this phrase is correct and usable in written English.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

50%

News & Media

37%

Formal & Business

13%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "modestly different from" is used to express a slight or subtle difference between two things, as indicated by Ludwig. It is considered grammatically correct and suitable for various contexts, particularly in science and news media. While the phrase appears in several authoritative sources, alternative options like "slightly different from" or "somewhat different from" can provide similar nuances. The key is to ensure that the level of difference is accurately represented to avoid overstating or understating the contrast.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

slightly different from

Emphasizes a small degree of difference, similar to "modestly".

somewhat different from

Indicates a moderate level of dissimilarity, close in meaning to "modestly".

a little different from

Uses more common language to express a small distinction.

marginally different from

Highlights the minimal extent of the difference.

minimally different from

Stresses the insignificance of the variation.

barely different from

Focuses on how the distinction is scarcely perceptible.

hardly different from

Similar to barely, emphasizes the subtlety of the difference.

not very different from

Expresses a lack of significant difference in a more verbose way.

mildly different from

Suggests the difference is weak or not pronounced.

distinctly comparable to

Highlights similarity with slight difference, rephrasing to focus on the comparable aspects.

FAQs

What does "modestly different from" mean?

The phrase "modestly different from" indicates that two things have slight or subtle differences, but are largely similar.

How can I use "modestly different from" in a sentence?

You can use it to compare two items or concepts: "The updated model is "modestly different from" its predecessor, featuring only minor adjustments."

What can I say instead of "modestly different from"?

You can use alternatives like "slightly different from", "somewhat different from", or "a little different from" depending on the context.

When should I not use the phrase "modestly different from"?

Avoid using "modestly different from" when describing significant differences. In such cases, phrases like "significantly different from" or "completely different from" would be more appropriate.