not really true

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "not really true" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to express doubt or to indicate that something is not entirely accurate or factual. Example: "While some may believe that all cats hate water, that's not really true; many cats actually enjoy playing in it."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

"That's not really true.

The New York Times

It's not really true.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

But that's not really true.

BBC

This was not really true.

The New Yorker

Well, that's not really true.

The Washington Post

This is not really true.

The Guardian - Opinion

But this is not really true.

The New York Times

Except that is not really true.

The New York Times - Sports

Perhaps that is not really true.

Harvard University

Thank goodness it's not really true.

University of California, Berkeley

But that's not really true, is it?

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "not really true" to gently challenge a statement without outright accusing someone of lying or being completely wrong. It's suitable for situations where nuance and diplomacy are valued.

Common error

While versatile, "not really true" can sound informal. In academic papers or formal reports, consider more precise alternatives like "partially inaccurate" or "overstated" to maintain a professional tone.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "not really true" functions as a qualifier, expressing doubt or disagreement with a preceding statement. Ludwig AI confirms its usage across various contexts to subtly challenge assertions, as seen in the provided examples.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

62%

Academia

22%

Encyclopedias

4%

Less common in

Science

4%

Formal & Business

4%

Reference

4%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "not really true" is a common and versatile expression used to convey that something is not entirely accurate. Ludwig AI validates its widespread usage across news, academic, and even encyclopedic sources. While grammatically sound, it's crucial to consider the context and choose more formal alternatives like "partially inaccurate" in academic or business settings. Using "not really true" is a way of being more diplomatic by softening a disagreement rather than directly contradicting it. The phrase is best used in neutral situations.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

not entirely true

Replaces "really" with "entirely", suggesting a slightly more formal tone but retaining the core meaning.

not completely true

Substitutes "really" with "completely", implying a lack of absolute truthfulness.

not exactly true

Emphasizes a lack of precision or accuracy rather than complete falsehood.

not quite true

Softens the disagreement by using "quite", making the statement less direct.

not altogether true

Uses "altogether" for a slightly more emphatic denial of complete truth.

not genuinely true

Replaces "really" with "genuinely", emphasizing the authenticity of the truth being questioned.

somewhat inaccurate

Shifts from negating truth to directly stating a degree of inaccuracy.

partially false

Indicates that only a portion of the statement is incorrect.

a bit misleading

Focuses on the deceptive aspect of the statement, suggesting it leads to a wrong conclusion.

overstated to some degree

Suggests the statement is exaggerated, but not necessarily entirely untrue.

FAQs

How can I use "not really true" in a sentence?

You can use "not really true" to express that something is not entirely accurate or factual. For example: "While some may believe that all cats hate water, that's "not really true"; many cats actually enjoy playing in it."

What are some alternatives to saying "not really true"?

Alternatives include phrases like "not entirely accurate", "not quite correct", or "partially false" depending on the specific context and the degree of inaccuracy you want to convey.

Is it better to say "not really true" or "false"?

"Not really true" is a more nuanced and less direct way of expressing disagreement than simply saying "false". It implies that there might be some truth to the statement, but it is not entirely accurate. "False" is a stronger and more definitive statement.

What's the difference between "not really true" and "not exactly true"?

Both phrases express that something isn't entirely accurate. "Not exactly true" focuses more on the lack of precision or detail, while "not really true" can imply a more general sense of something being misleading or not completely factual.