not material enough

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "not material enough" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to describe something which is insufficient or inadequate in a tangible way. For example: "The evidence provided was not material enough to support the claim."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

Again, when Mr. Scalzo discussed the need for disclosure of the bonuses with Mr. Swartz, he assured him they were not material enough to merit disclosure.

The New York Times

He believes the Wells notices Goldman received were not material enough and therefore did not have to be disclosed.

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

The conclusion might not be material enough for Dell to have to restate, Conigliaro wrote, and Dell had already made a number of key management changes, which could address the issue of "misconduct".

Forbes

The news wasn't deemed material enough for Onyx to publicize it separately.

The New York Times

Too Many Materials, Not Enough Buyers Overproduction is one reason for the drop in materials prices.

Forbes

Not enough materials is a major frustration and time waster.

WikiHow

And waste is very expensive and also meant we ended up not having enough material.

The Guardian

Consumers also are adept at distinguishing top-quality content from material not good enough for the finished product.

The New York Times - Tech

The close-up photo showed about a square inch of her wedding veil — alas, not even enough material to determine if it was lace or tulle.

The New York Times

In initial experiments, we captured the 63 75 μm size fraction; however, we found that this size range did not provide enough material for our dissolution experiments.

Geochemical Transactions

Washings from psoriatic lesions contained abundant protein but there was not always enough material in washings of uninvolved skin to be evaluated this way.

Clinical and Translational Medicine

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When evaluating evidence or data, use "not material enough" to clearly express that the information is insufficient to draw a significant conclusion. For instance, "The sample size was not material enough to support the study's claims."

Common error

Avoid using "not material enough" when a stronger term like "irrelevant" or "negligible" is more accurate. Overusing the phrase can dilute its impact, especially when describing something that is demonstrably unimportant.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "not material enough" functions as an adjective phrase, modifying a noun to indicate that something lacks the necessary substance, importance, or relevance. As Ludwig AI confirms, it is a correct and usable phrase in written English.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

30%

Science

30%

Wiki

20%

Less common in

Formal & Business

10%

Reference

5%

Encyclopedias

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "not material enough" is a grammatically sound and frequently used expression to denote a lack of significance or substance. Ludwig AI confirms its correct usage. It is versatile enough to appear in various contexts, from news reports to scientific analyses, though primarily found in News & Media and Science categories. When using this phrase, ensure it accurately reflects the degree of insignificance you intend to convey, avoiding overstatement. Alternatives like "insufficiently significant" or "inadequate in substance" can add nuance in formal contexts.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

insufficiently significant

Replaces the concrete "material" with the more abstract "significant", and uses an adverb to modify the adjective.

not substantial enough

Substitutes "material" with "substantial", emphasizing the lack of tangible impact or importance.

inadequate in substance

Rephrases the idea using "inadequate" to highlight the deficiency and "substance" as a replacement for "material".

not weighty enough

Uses "weighty" metaphorically to suggest a lack of importance or influence.

lacking sufficient gravity

Employs "gravity" to denote the seriousness or importance that is missing.

not considerable enough

Replaces "material" with "considerable", focusing on the lack of noteworthiness.

insufficient in magnitude

Uses "magnitude" to convey the idea that something lacks the necessary scale or size to be important.

not impactful enough

Replaces "material" with "impactful", highlighting the absence of a strong effect or influence.

devoid of adequate consequence

Expresses the lack of importance using "devoid" and "consequence", making the phrase more formal.

without ample significance

Emphasizes the absence of importance by using "without" and "ample" to indicate a sufficient amount.

FAQs

How can I rephrase "not material enough" in a formal context?

In formal settings, consider using phrases like "insufficiently significant", "inadequate in substance", or "lacking sufficient gravity" as alternatives to "not material enough".

When is it appropriate to use the phrase "not material enough"?

Use "not material enough" when you want to convey that something lacks the substance or importance required for a particular purpose or consideration. For instance, when evaluating evidence or data, the data may be "insufficiently significant".

What's the difference between "not material enough" and "immaterial"?

"Not material enough" implies that something has some relevance but not enough to be significant. "Immaterial" means something is completely irrelevant and has no bearing on the matter at hand.

Can "not material enough" be used to describe abstract concepts?

Yes, although "material" often refers to physical substances, "not material enough" can describe abstract concepts lacking sufficient substance, weight, or importance. For example, a theoretical justification might be "not substantial enough" to warrant further investigation.