not in terms of

USAGE SUMMARY

"not in terms of" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use this phrase whenever you are trying to compare two things by a means other than what has been specified. For example: "We can't measure the success of this project in terms of money, but rather in terms of how much help we provided to the community."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Not in terms of head count.

The New York Times

Not in terms of performance.

The Guardian

Not in terms of Vilar.

The New York Times - Arts

Not in terms of who she knows.

Stanford University

But not in terms of money.

The Guardian - Books

Not in terms of politics — definitely not in terms of politics — but in terms of positioning?

The New York Times

He added, "But not in terms of business independence".

The New York Times

It's not what's fair or not, in terms of time.

The Guardian - Sport

Not in terms of scale or ambition, though.

The New York Times - Arts

At least not in terms of Twitter use.

The Guardian - Sport

But not in terms of innovation; rather in altitude.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Combine "not in terms of" with a clear statement of what is relevant. For instance, "We should evaluate success not in terms of revenue, but rather in terms of customer satisfaction."

Common error

Avoid using "not in terms of" when you actually mean to completely exclude something. "Not in terms of" implies consideration from a different angle, not outright rejection. For direct exclusions, use phrases like "excluding" or "aside from".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "not in terms of" primarily functions as a prepositional phrase that introduces a contrast or specifies a limitation in how something is being considered or evaluated. It is often used to reframe a discussion or argument, as Ludwig AI confirms.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

58%

Academia

22%

Science

20%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "not in terms of" is a versatile tool for specifying criteria or perspectives that are not relevant in a given context. As Ludwig AI accurately points out, this phrase helps to direct focus and clarify meaning. It enjoys wide usage across varied authoritative sources like The New York Times, The Guardian and BBC making it suitable for diverse contexts, particularly in news, academic writing, and scientific discourse. The frequency analysis reveals this expression is very common in News & Media, Academia, and Science. When using this phrase, ensure a clear articulation of what is relevant to avoid ambiguity and maximize the impact of your communication.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

but rather

Focuses on introducing an alternative perspective or aspect.

not with respect to

Formal alternative, emphasizing a specific area of consideration.

not regarding

Similar to "not with respect to" but slightly less formal.

irrespective of

Indicates that something is not affected by a particular factor.

independent of

Highlights a lack of connection or influence.

excluding

Directly removes a specific element from consideration.

aside from

Similar to excluding, but can also introduce an exception.

not considering

Emphasizes a deliberate choice to disregard a certain factor.

beyond the scope of

Indicates that something is outside the boundaries of the discussion.

not from the standpoint of

Focuses on shifting the perspective or viewpoint.

FAQs

How can I use "not in terms of" in a sentence?

Use "not in terms of" to specify what aspect you are not using for evaluation or comparison, and then clarify what aspect you are using. For example, "The project's success should be measured "but rather" in terms of its impact on the community, not in terms of immediate profit."

What are some alternatives to saying "not in terms of"?

Depending on the context, you could use alternatives like ""but rather"", "not with respect to", "irrespective of", or "excluding" to express a similar meaning.

Is it better to use "not in terms of" or a more direct phrase?

The best choice depends on the nuance you want to convey. "Not in terms of" is useful when you want to acknowledge a certain perspective but then redirect the focus. More direct phrases like "excluding" are suitable when you want to completely dismiss a particular aspect.

What's the difference between "not in terms of" and "independent of"?

"Not in terms of" suggests that something is being considered from a different angle, while "independent of" indicates that something is not influenced or affected by something else. For instance, "The decision was not in terms of cost, but in terms of safety" means cost was considered but not the deciding factor. "The decision was independent of cost" means cost played no role at all.