never encountered this

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "never encountered this" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when expressing that you have not come across a particular situation, object, or concept before. Example: "In my years of experience, I have never encountered this type of problem before."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

23 human-written examples

"I've never encountered this level of unending lunacy.

The New Yorker

She said the school had had dealings with the N.C.A.A. before and never encountered this problem.

The New York Times - Sports

"We've never encountered this kind of run like we've had right now".

The New York Times

"Our finance people say they have never encountered this before," she said.

The New York Times

I've never encountered this before: a government department refusing even to acknowledge that a question has been asked.

The Guardian - Opinion

"I had never encountered this situation before, but this, of course, has been a market of firsts," she said.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

35 human-written examples

You may never encounter this issue if you sell in person, but you'll probably deal with it at some point if you plan to sell online.

WikiHow

I never look at the Obituary pages, and apart from a few episodes of Gray's Anatomy, I never encountered the name of this particular cancer in the media or news, so I became blissfully insulated from my own condition.

Huffington Post

He and his colleagues had never encountered anything like this, he said, adding that this was the first known case of acute polonium poisoning anywhere in the world.

The Guardian

The reporter, who was recently in Brussels covering the arrests related to terrorism in Paris, said she'd "never encountered anything like this before in 20 years of journalism, this is a pretty outrageous media ban".

Los Angeles Times

The British competitor Simon Terry was disconcerted by wind at the test event: "We've trained here quite a bit this year, but we've never encountered winds like this.

The New York Times - Sports

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "never encountered this" to express surprise or novelty when faced with an unusual situation or concept.

Common error

While acceptable, overuse of "never encountered this" can make writing seem less sophisticated. In formal contexts, consider alternatives such as "This is an unprecedented situation" or "I have not previously observed this phenomenon".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "never encountered this" functions as an expression of novelty or surprise. It indicates that the speaker or writer has not previously experienced or come across the subject being discussed, as confirmed by Ludwig AI.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

53%

Science

29%

Encyclopedias

6%

Less common in

Wiki

3%

Formal & Business

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "never encountered this" is a common and grammatically correct expression used to indicate a lack of prior experience with something. Ludwig AI analysis confirms its acceptability and provides several examples of its usage across diverse sources. The phrase functions to emphasize the novelty or unexpected nature of a situation. While it is generally appropriate for a range of contexts, writers should consider more formal alternatives in professional or academic settings to enhance sophistication. Remember to be specific about what "this" refers to in order to maintain clarity.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

never experienced this before

Replaces "encountered" with "experienced" and adds "before" for emphasis, creating a slightly more emphatic tone.

never come across this before

Uses the phrasal verb "come across" instead of "encounter", adding a slightly more informal tone and also adds "before".

never witnessed this before

Substitutes "encountered" with "witnessed", implying a more direct observation of something, and also adds "before".

haven't seen anything like this before

Uses a more colloquial structure, emphasizing surprise or disbelief, and also adds "before".

this is unprecedented for me

Changes the focus to the unprecedented nature of the situation for the speaker.

this is a first for me

A more informal way to express that something has never happened to the speaker before.

I've not had this experience previously

Rephrases the statement to focus on the lack of previous experience.

this situation is unfamiliar

Indicates that the circumstances are not known or previously experienced.

I am unaccustomed to this

Expresses a lack of familiarity or preparedness for the situation.

this is novel to me

Highlights the new or original nature of the experience for the speaker.

FAQs

What does "never encountered this" mean?

The phrase "never encountered this" means that you have not experienced, seen, or come across something before. It expresses a lack of prior exposure to a particular situation, object, or concept.

What can I say instead of "never encountered this"?

You can use alternatives like "never experienced this", "haven't seen anything like this before", or "this is unprecedented for me" depending on the context.

How do I use "never encountered this" in a sentence?

You can use "never encountered this" to describe a novel situation. For example, "In my years of teaching, I have "never encountered this" level of student engagement" or "Our finance people say they have "never encountered this" before."

Is it appropriate to use "never encountered this" in formal writing?

Yes, "never encountered this" is acceptable in formal writing, especially when emphasizing the novelty or unexpected nature of a situation. However, consider more formal alternatives like "This is an unprecedented situation" or "I have not previously observed this phenomenon" if you want a more sophisticated tone.