not very critical

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "not very critical" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe something that is not of great importance or urgency. Example: "The feedback from the client was not very critical, so we can take our time to address their concerns."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

15 human-written examples

Scholarly studies have tended to see scientists and engineers as closely identified with and not very critical of techno-science as proponentechno-science as, not critics.

Technology in Society

I saw one dead and two others injured but they were not very critical".

The Guardian

However, with the current development in computer hardware technology, these are not very critical.

Human-centric Computing and Information Sciences

The latter is not very critical if the servicer satellite is operating autonomously.

Advances in Space Research

Note that the final number of states is not very critical because the difference between errors is less than 3%.

EURASIP Journal on Audio, Speech, and Music Processing

Since vehicles are not critically limited by the storage/memory space and power consumption, selecting proper data items for caching is not very critical.

Computer Communications

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

45 human-written examples

He has not been very critical of the Reagan Administration, but it remains to be seen if this attitude will result in new federal support for New York.

The New Yorker

Usually, the antenna orientation is not a very critical factor for over-the-air wireless communication experiments.

EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking

Furthermore, the vast majority of reporting on new research was favorable or neutral suggesting that readers of the news stories would not be very critical of the research.

Plosone

William Shawn, no gossip, once allowed to me, in his murmurous but undeniable way, that O'Hara was "not very self-critical".

The New Yorker

"He is not surprised but very critical and angry," he said.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "not very critical" to downplay the significance of an issue or task, suggesting it does not require immediate or intensive attention.

Common error

Avoid using "not very critical" when the situation genuinely demands immediate attention or is crucial for success. Choose stronger language to reflect the true urgency.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "not very critical" functions as an adjectival phrase that modifies a noun, indicating that something lacks a high degree of importance or urgency. It softens the impact of the adjective "critical". Ludwig AI confirms this usage.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

43%

News & Media

36%

Formal & Business

21%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "not very critical" is an adjectival phrase used to de-emphasize the importance or urgency of something. Its grammatical status is correct, though its frequency is uncommon. While it appears in diverse contexts, Science and News & Media sources are most common. Ludwig confirms the appropriate usage of the phrase. Alternatives include "not particularly crucial" and "not especially important". When using this phrase, ensure that you are not understating the true importance of a situation to avoid miscommunication.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

not particularly crucial

This alternative replaces "very critical" with "particularly crucial", maintaining a similar level of emphasis on the lack of importance.

not especially important

This phrase uses "especially important" instead of "very critical" to convey a similar sense of reduced significance.

not overly significant

This option uses "overly significant" to replace "very critical", implying that something lacks major importance.

not terribly important

This alternative uses "terribly important" to modify the degree of criticality, indicating a lesser concern.

not vitally important

This option uses "vitally important" replacing "very critical", indicating something is less essential.

of little consequence

This phrase shifts from an adjective-based expression to a prepositional phrase indicating that something has minimal impact.

not of great importance

This alternative phrase expresses a lack of significance, shifting from an adjective phrase to a prepositional phrase.

relatively unimportant

This option uses the adverb "relatively" to downplay the level of importance, suggesting a minor concern.

hardly crucial

This phrase uses "hardly" to negate the criticality, implying a minimal level of importance.

not a priority

This alternative shifts the focus to prioritization, indicating that something is less urgent or essential than other items.

FAQs

How can I use "not very critical" in a sentence?

You can use "not very critical" to describe tasks, feedback, or situations that don't require immediate or significant attention. For example, "The initial design flaws were "not very critical", so we can address them in the next phase".

What are some alternatives to "not very critical"?

Alternatives include "not especially important", "not particularly crucial", or "relatively unimportant". Choose the phrase that best fits the nuance you want to convey.

Is it better to say "not very critical" or "unimportant"?

While both indicate a lack of significance, "not very critical" suggests a lower degree of importance or urgency than "unimportant". "Unimportant" implies the item has essentially no value or relevance. Use "not very critical" when something has some importance, but not much.

When is it appropriate to use "not very critical" in professional communication?

It's appropriate to use "not very critical" when assessing project risks, providing feedback, or prioritizing tasks. For example, "The client's suggestions were helpful but "not very critical" to the project's success".