on a minute scale

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "on a minute scale" is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
You can use it to refer to a situation with tiny details or variability. For example, "The effects of climate change are often hard to see on a large scale, but on a minute scale, they can be observed in minute changes in biodiversity."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

6 human-written examples

A macroscopically rather homogeneous sediment may prove to be inhomogeneous on a minute scale.

Encyclopedia Britannica

A thousand small sanities, each begun on a minute scale through local efforts, can help to create a million safer neighborhoods and families.

The New Yorker

This his first shows how the class struggle was fought and won (on a minute scale) in the little fishing village of Alvarado on the Gulf of Veracruz.It is not a radical thesis that "The Wave" expounds, nor is its resolution heroic.

The New York Times

As shown in the Table 3, the results we obtained provide improvement on a minute scale with the features that we add to the user behavioral feature set.

Journal of Big Data

Texas law currently views possession of marijuana, even on a minute scale, as a criminal offense, punishable by $2,000 in fines and up to a year of jail time.

HuffPost

Participants were asked to report highway travel separately on a minute scale for each hour of the day without detail on mode of transport.

Environmental Health: A Global Access Science Source

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

54 human-written examples

It's a feat that's extremely difficult to do on such a minute scale, but thanks to single-molecule Tetris, these physicists now have results that could help biologists improve genome sequencing and tease out valuable genetic information from these tiny, confined bits of DNA. .

Science Magazine

Much of the puppetry is done on an exquisitely minute scale and something as small as a newborn bird's shaky wing is bewitching.

The Guardian

Examined on a minute time scale, however, normal science arguably also involves a (more constrained) variation and selection process, as scientific practitioners search for ways to articulate the paradigm.

SEP

Relying on the fast and tunable "Breath Figure" process, HC films were prepared on a minute time-scale and incorporated onto OLED devices, either through direct bottom-up formation onto the OLED substrates or through an original and convenient peeling/transfer method.

Organic Electronics

It has indeed, but only for a system on the minute scale of 100 atoms.

Britannica

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "on a minute scale" when you want to emphasize that something is happening or being observed at a very detailed or granular level. This phrase is useful when contrasting with larger or more general observations.

Common error

Avoid using "on a minute scale" when you actually mean "unimportant" or "insignificant". While the phrase refers to size, it doesn't automatically imply a lack of consequence. Ensure the context clarifies that you're discussing size or detail, not necessarily importance.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "on a minute scale" primarily functions as an adverbial phrase, modifying a verb or clause by specifying the level of detail or granularity at which an action or observation occurs. Ludwig's examples show that it is used to describe how something is analyzed or observed.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

60%

News & Media

20%

Encyclopedias

20%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Academia

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "on a minute scale" is a grammatically sound adverbial phrase used to emphasize detailed observation or analysis. Ludwig's AI confirms its proper usage and provides real-world examples from diverse sources, including science, news, and encyclopedias. While not exceedingly common, it serves a specific purpose in highlighting granularity and precision. When choosing alternatives, consider whether you wish to emphasize size (e.g., "on a very small scale") or level of detail (e.g., "on a granular level"). Ensure that your context justifies its use; the phrase refers to detail, not inherently unimportance.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

on a very small scale

Emphasizes the diminutive size of the scale.

on a microscopic level

Highlights that the scale is so small it requires a microscope to observe.

on a granular level

Focuses on the fine-grained detail being examined.

in microcosms

Uses "microcosms" to suggest small, representative systems.

on a reduced scale

Suggests a proportional decrease in size or scope.

on a negligible scale

Highlights that the scale is so small it is almost not worth considering.

on an infinitesimal scale

Emphasizes the extremely small or immeasurable size.

at a subatomic level

Indicates that the scale is at the level of atoms or smaller.

on a molecular scale

Specifies that the scale is at the level of molecules.

on a trivial scale

Highlights that the scale is insignificant.

FAQs

How can I use "on a minute scale" in a sentence?

Use "on a minute scale" to describe observations, changes, or effects that are happening at a very detailed or granular level. For example, "The effects of the new policy are difficult to detect on a large scale, but "on a minute scale", individual businesses are already seeing positive changes."

What are some alternatives to "on a minute scale"?

Depending on the context, you can use alternatives like "on a very small scale", "on a microscopic level", or "on a granular level".

Is it correct to say "in a minute scale" instead of "on a minute scale"?

While "in" can sometimes replace "on" when discussing locations, "on a minute scale" is the idiomatic and grammatically correct choice for discussing the level of detail or observation.

What's the difference between "on a minute scale" and "on a small scale"?

"On a small scale" generally refers to the size or scope of something, whereas ""on a minute scale"" emphasizes the level of detail or granularity at which something is being observed or measured. The former is about size; the latter is about precision.