more or less that

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "more or less that" is not correct in standard written English.
It seems to be a misphrasing and does not convey a clear meaning. An example of a corrected phrase could be: "It's more or less what I expected."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

And that's more or less that.

The New York Times

And that is more or less that.

The Guardian - Sport

A datum was deemed to fit within the confines of chemistry or sociology or the history of spoons or whatever, and that was more or less that.

The New York Times - Books

"You have an everyday product, more or less, that is used under normal circumstances to improve people's lives," said William Gulledge, manager of the hydrogen peroxide panel at the American Chemistry Council, an industry group.

The New York Times

It's the same glass, more or less, that is used for the windows in your home and the jar of jam in your fridge — and that old elixir bottle you bought at an antique store.

The New York Times - Science

That battle often gravitates to the absurd idea of who's paying for someone else's coverage – and how much more (or less) that should be.

Forbes

Apple's product lines are planned about two years out, so consumers will continue to get the benefit of Jobs' guiding hand for more or less that much longer.

Forbes

"It's really neat because it shows more or less that quantum events are outside our everyday notions of space and time".

Science Magazine

He said, more or less, that it's not always important.

The Washington Post

Everybody is predicting more or less that I'm going to go.

The Guardian - Sport

I knew more or less that the time was coming up," he said.

The Guardian - Sport

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When aiming for clarity, replace "more or less that" with more precise alternatives like "approximately that" or "nearly that" to avoid ambiguity.

Common error

Avoid using "more or less that" when a clearer indication of approximation is needed. Phrases like "approximately", "roughly", or "almost" provide a more direct and easily understood sense of the degree of closeness.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "more or less that" functions as an attempted qualifier, aiming to express approximation or similarity. However, according to Ludwig AI, it's not standard English, so it should be replaced by clearer expressions.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Science

20%

Formal & Business

20%

Less common in

Wiki

0%

Academia

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while "more or less that" is used to convey approximation, Ludwig AI identifies it as grammatically incorrect and suggests clearer alternatives. It appears most often in news and media, but using phrases like "approximately that" or "roughly that" will improve clarity and precision. Prioritize these alternatives for more effective communication, especially in formal or professional contexts.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

roughly that

Replaces "more or less" with "roughly", suggesting an estimation.

approximately that

Uses "approximately" to convey a sense of nearness or closeness.

nearly that

Indicates that something is close to a certain value or state.

almost that

A simpler way to indicate that something is not quite, but very close to, a certain state.

virtually that

Implies something is practically or effectively that, though not exactly.

practically that

Suggests that something is so close to a condition as to be almost indistinguishable.

something to that effect

Suggests that the general idea or impact is similar, even if details vary.

in that vicinity

Indicates a location or value is within the general range, but not precise.

of that kind

Refers to something of a similar nature or type, without specifying quantity.

to that order

Refers to a magnitude or arrangement that is comparable.

FAQs

What does "more or less that" mean?

The phrase "more or less that" is not a standard English expression and can be unclear. It generally tries to convey an approximation or similarity, but it's better to use clearer phrases like "approximately that" or "something to that effect".

What can I say instead of "more or less that"?

You can use alternatives like "approximately that", "roughly that", or "something to that effect" depending on the context.

Is "more or less that" grammatically correct?

No, "more or less that" is not considered grammatically correct in standard English. It's better to use clearer and more precise alternatives.

How can I use "approximately that" in a sentence?

You can use "approximately that" to indicate an estimation or a value close to the stated one. For example, "The cost will be approximately that amount".