narrowly enough

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "narrowly enough" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to indicate that something is sufficiently limited or restricted in scope or extent. Example: "The results were narrowly enough defined to draw a clear conclusion about the experiment."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

14 human-written examples

"We can succeed because we have defined success narrowly enough".

The New York Times - Arts

Republicans said the bill did not focus narrowly enough on low-income children.

The New York Times

The assault weapons ban he helped pass in 1994 was written narrowly enough that it allowed plenty of guns to still be sold.

The New York Times

What this bureaucracy of ours had been doing was simply redefining markets narrowly enough to make sure that we came out No. 1 or No. 2. Q.

The New York Times

Democrats said that if the utility cap was drawn narrowly enough, they hoped to win over Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina, who helped draft the initial plan by Mr. Kerry and Mr. Lieberman before withdrawing his support.

The New York Times

He continued to feed the tiger by throwing raw chickens through a door opened just narrowly enough to keep a paw the size of a lunch plate from swiping through, neighbors said.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

45 human-written examples

Was freedom, narrowly construed, enough?

The New York Times

The real debate came down to whether either program was narrowly tailored enough.

The New York Times

Mr. Case narrowly persuaded enough board members to back his commitment to remain independent as a struggling online service provider.

The New York Times

Her marketing strategy worked in her favor: although competitors in the area challenged her application for a wine license, her plan to focus more narrowly was enough to win state approval.

The New York Times

Law professor Dave Min narrowly got enough votes to be officially endorsed by the state party, after which bedlam broke loose.

Vice

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "narrowly enough" to indicate a balance between restriction and effectiveness, for example, in regulations or definitions.

Common error

Avoid using "narrowly enough" when the context requires a broader or more flexible approach. Over-emphasizing limitations can undermine the intended outcome.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "narrowly enough" functions primarily as an adverbial modifier, indicating the degree to which something is limited or restricted. Ludwig's examples show it often modifies verbs or adjectives to describe the extent of a constraint or specification.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Science

20%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Wiki

5%

Encyclopedias

3%

Reference

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "narrowly enough" is used to indicate that something is sufficiently limited or restricted. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness and suitability for expressing a balance between precision and effectiveness. While not extremely common, it appears most frequently in news and media contexts, often related to discussions about legislation or specifications. Consider using alternatives like "sufficiently narrow" or "adequately limited" depending on the desired nuance. Ensure clarity by clearly defining the context and avoiding overstating limitations.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

sufficiently narrowly

Emphasizes the degree to which something is narrow, adding a layer of formality.

restrictively sufficient

Underscores that something is sufficient but within strict boundaries.

just narrowly

Focuses more on the marginality of the action or state.

sufficiently constrained

Focuses on constraints that are sufficient to achieve something.

barely sufficiently

Highlights the scarcity of sufficiency, implying a minimum requirement is met.

limited adequately

Focuses on the limitation being adequate for a specific purpose.

just adequately

Emphasizes the minimum level of adequacy.

closely adequate

Suggests something is adequate but only by a small margin.

barely adequate

Emphasizes a minimal level of adequacy.

scarcely adequate

Implies there's very little adequacy.

FAQs

How can I use "narrowly enough" in a sentence?

You can use "narrowly enough" to describe something sufficiently limited for a specific purpose. For example: "The assault weapons ban he helped pass in 1994 was written "narrowly enough" that it allowed plenty of guns to still be sold."

What does "narrowly enough" mean?

The phrase "narrowly enough" suggests that something is limited or restricted to a degree that is just sufficient to achieve a desired outcome or meet a specific requirement.

Are there alternatives to using "narrowly enough"?

Yes, you can use alternatives such as "sufficiently narrow", "adequately limited", or "just narrowly" depending on the context.

In what contexts is "narrowly enough" typically used?

As shown by Ludwig examples, "narrowly enough" is often used in contexts discussing legislation, definitions, or specifications where precision and limitation are important.