mostly at once

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "mostly at once" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe actions or events that occur simultaneously or in close succession, but not entirely at the same time. Example: "The team managed to complete the project mostly at once, with only a few tasks needing to be finished later."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Wiki

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

But the funding would need to come in significant amounts, and mostly at once, not dribbled over decades.

The New Yorker

But given the days of rain, and the chaos of having hundreds of workers occupying a fraction of a muddy acre mostly at once, they can't explain it completely.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

But few peasants have irrigated land, which is the main reason many Zambians will go hungry this year: the annual rains all fell at once, mostly before Christmas, leading to a poor harvest.

The Economist

Many people have gone hungry in the past few months thanks to a poor harvest: instead of falling evenly through the 2004-05 growing season, the rains came all at once, mostly early on.

The Economist

Yet I had never heard of avocado toast before coming to New York, which seemed odd, since New York avocados are mostly disgusting small, starchy, and at once underripe and bruised.

The New Yorker

Dens are used mostly by several females at once, and it is not uncommon to see up to 20 cubs at a single site.

Wikipedia

But mostly, they were in awe — at once giddy and proud.

The New York Times

She's sweet on animals, and dabbles in music, but mostly she's on call 24/7, at once his accessory and his pet.

The New Yorker

A similar dynamic shaped the "big bang" enlargement of the Union's membership in 2004, when 10 mostly ex-Communist nations joined all at once even though they were at varying stages of economic and political evolution toward successful market democracies.

The New York Times

Even so, it's an excitingly large number of mostly, probably planets to be confirmed all at once.

TechCrunch

Mostly, however, the Knicks have struggled to get enough of their offense together at once to survive.

The New York Times - Sports

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "mostly at once", ensure the context clarifies which aspects are simultaneous and which may have slight delays or variations. This will prevent misinterpretation and enhance clarity.

Common error

Avoid using "mostly at once" when events are clearly sequential or have significant time gaps. This phrase is best suited for actions that are almost, but not perfectly, simultaneous.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "mostly at once" functions as an adverbial modifier, indicating the timing of an event or action. It suggests that something happens nearly, but not perfectly, simultaneously. Ludwig's examples show it qualifying how funding arrives or how tasks are completed.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

67%

Wiki

17%

Science

16%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "mostly at once" is used to describe events happening nearly simultaneously. According to Ludwig, it functions as an adverbial modifier that indicates timing with a degree of simultaneity but not perfection. While grammatically correct, its frequency is rare, suggesting it should be used deliberately to ensure clarity. Alternatives like "largely simultaneously" or "primarily at the same time" may offer similar meanings with potentially greater clarity. It's important to avoid overstating simultaneity. Ludwig AI confirms the acceptability of this phrase.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

mainly at once

Replaces "mostly" with "mainly", preserving the idea of a predominant simultaneity.

chiefly at once

Uses "chiefly" as a more formal substitute for "mostly", maintaining the meaning of primary simultaneity.

for the most part at once

Rephrases the original expression with emphasis on the greatest part happening at the same time

largely simultaneously

Emphasizes the degree of simultaneity, highlighting that the events occur at the same time to a great extent.

primarily at the same time

Highlights the temporal aspect, focusing on events happening at a similar time, but with room for slight variations.

almost simultaneously

Stresses the near-simultaneous nature of the events, indicating a very small time difference.

practically concurrent

Uses a more formal tone to convey events occurring at the same time or nearly so.

virtually at the same instant

Emphasizes the immediacy and near-perfect synchronicity of the occurrences.

in rapid succession

Focuses on the quick sequence of events rather than their exact simultaneity.

in close proximity

Focuses on temporal adjacency without necessarily implying complete overlap.

FAQs

How can I use "mostly at once" in a sentence?

You can use "mostly at once" to describe events that happen nearly simultaneously, like: "The project was completed "mostly at once", with only a few minor adjustments needed afterward."

What's the difference between "mostly at once" and "simultaneously"?

"Simultaneously" means events happen at the exact same time. "Mostly at once" implies they happen very close in time, but not perfectly synchronized. Use "mostly at once" when there's a slight variance.

Which is correct, "mostly at once" or "at once"?

"At once" means immediately or simultaneously. "Mostly at once" means nearly simultaneously. The correct choice depends on whether the events are perfectly synchronized or just very close in time. See also: "at once".

What can I say instead of "mostly at once"?

You can use alternatives like "largely simultaneously" or "primarily at the same time", depending on the context and the nuance you want to convey.