mostly identical

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "mostly identical" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe two or more items that are very similar but have some minor differences. Example: "The two reports are mostly identical, with only a few variations in the data presented."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

46 human-written examples

They sell mostly identical items, for mostly the same price.

The New Yorker

In fact, wheat is hexaploid its cells harbor six mostly identical copies of every chromosome.

MIT Technology Review

The service life calculated by the two methods was mostly identical.

Construction and Building Materials

It doesn't matter overmuch; although the chapters are linked, they are mostly interchangeable and mostly identical in tone and action.

The Guardian - Books

When the BF Goodrich Company moved its headquarters to Charlotte, N.C., this year, the entire executive team, excluding the chief executive, were given offices of roughly 15 feet by 15 feet with mostly identical furniture.

The New York Times

They both want to repeal health-care reform and replace it with a vague alternative whose few clear details are mostly identical to the health-care reform that the Obama administration just passed.

The Economist

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

14 human-written examples

The narrator a tweaked version of Shapiro travels to the nine mostly-identical storefronts, accompanied by a friend who doesn't really get the brand's appeal.

Vice

Both complex formation and replication are local processes, which means that individuals interact mostly with identical copies of themselves as well as, inevitably, with their close mutants.

Genome Biology and Evolution

Here, reads at a given locus mostly have identical start and end points, due to targeted enzymatic digestion and Illumina-determined read size (here, 50 bases).

BMC Genomics

The data were mostly based on identical questionnaires in both years, but there were some comparability problems.

Environmental Health: A Global Access Science Source

Although the seed sequences of miRNAs in CMMs are mostly similar (or identical), there is no one-to-one mapping between CMMs and seed sequences.

BMC Genomics

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "mostly identical" to accurately convey that items or concepts share the majority of their attributes, while acknowledging minor differences. This avoids overstating complete equivalence.

Common error

Avoid using "mostly identical" when there are significant differences. Reserve it for situations where similarities clearly outweigh the variations.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "mostly identical" functions as a descriptive adjective phrase. As Ludwig AI confirms, it's grammatically sound. It qualifies nouns, indicating a high degree of similarity while acknowledging minor discrepancies, as evidenced in examples where data, genes, or processes are almost alike.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

50%

News & Media

35%

Formal & Business

15%

Less common in

Wiki

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "mostly identical" is a grammatically correct and versatile descriptive term indicating a high degree of similarity between two or more entities. As confirmed by Ludwig AI, it effectively conveys near equivalence while acknowledging minor differences. Its usage spans scientific, news, and formal business contexts, revealing a neutral register. When precision is crucial, alternatives like "largely the same" or "substantially similar" can offer nuanced expressions. Employ "mostly identical" when similarities outweigh differences but avoid overstating complete equivalence.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

largely the same

Emphasizes a significant degree of similarity, though not perfectly identical.

substantially similar

Highlights that the main features are alike, with possible minor variations.

nearly indistinguishable

Suggests a very close resemblance, making it difficult to tell the difference.

almost equivalent

Indicates functional equivalence despite potential superficial differences.

virtually alike

Highlights an almost complete resemblance.

closely resembling

Focuses on the similarity in appearance or characteristics.

primarily uniform

Suggests a consistency in the main aspects.

mainly consistent

Highlights consistency as the dominant feature.

for the most part, the same

A more verbose way to express general similarity.

by and large, alike

Indicates that despite minor differences, the items share a general likeness.

FAQs

How can I use "mostly identical" in a sentence?

You can use "mostly identical" to describe two or more things that are very similar but not exactly the same. For example: "The two reports are mostly identical, with only a few variations in the data presented."

What can I say instead of "mostly identical"?

You can use alternatives like "largely the same", "substantially similar", or "nearly indistinguishable" depending on the context.

When is it appropriate to use "mostly identical"?

It's appropriate when describing items or concepts that share the majority of their characteristics but have some minor differences. It avoids implying complete equivalence where it doesn't exist.

What's the difference between "mostly identical" and "identical"?

"Identical" means exactly the same, while "mostly identical" implies a high degree of similarity but acknowledges some small differences. Use "mostly identical" when perfect equivalence isn't accurate.