only about every

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "only about every" is not standard in written English and may cause confusion.
It could be used in informal contexts to suggest that something applies to nearly all instances, but it lacks clarity. Example: "I only about every time I visit the store, they are out of stock on my favorite item."

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

7 human-written examples

"Oh," she said with a wry smile, "only about every other day".

The New York Times

For example, the northern polar region is sampled only about every 90 minutes on the 13th day in orbit.

Earth, Planets and Space

But even in this group, only about every second of these patients that fulfilled the criteria was monitored by dynamic preload parameters.

Annals of Intensive Care

But though the machine must be constantly connected to the Net, it talks to Replay's servers only about every 36 hours, so you can't use the Web link to record something you remember at the last minute.

Forbes

This implies that in the analyzed runs, the planetary ionosphere ion loss is not "source limited" because only about every third of the emitted planetary ions from the exobase escapes from Mars while about two out of three emitted ions re-encounters back to the exobase.

Earth, Planets and Space

The incidence of total knee arthroplasty (TKA) in younger patients has rapidly increased [ 3, 4] and only about every second patient considered eligible for TKA reported pain of about 50 or worse on a 0 to 100 scale [ 2], suggesting a broadening of indications to include also younger patients with less severe symptoms.

BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

52 human-written examples

But only about 44 cents of every dollar raised — or $14 million — actually reached needy causes, far below the 65 cents most philanthropic groups view as acceptable.

The New York Times

Roger Miehle, who runs the program for federal workers, said the costs for its common stock index fund were only about 60 cents for every $1,000 invested.

The New York Times

We talked for ages about Pine Gap except I was only catching about every ninth word.

Vice

Fortunately, asteroids of this size strike Earth only about once every few million years, and "dino killers" only once every 100 million years or so.

Science Magazine

I risk a latte only about once every two weeks, though.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

While "only about every" is understood, prefer more standard alternatives like "almost every" or "nearly every" for clarity and formality, especially in formal writing.

Common error

Avoid using "only about every" in formal documents or academic papers. Opt for more precise language to maintain a professional tone.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "only about every" functions as a quantifier, indicating a high frequency or near-universal occurrence. While not strictly grammatically incorrect, it is less common than alternatives like "almost every". Ludwig examples show its use in describing how often something happens.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Science

43%

Formal & Business

7%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "only about every" functions as a quantifier, indicating a high frequency, though it's less common and less formal than alternatives. Ludwig AI flags the phrase as potentially unclear, suggesting more standard options like "almost every" or "nearly every". While understandable in most contexts, prioritize clearer alternatives for formal writing. Ludwig examples highlight its use across news and scientific domains, but users should weigh context and audience when opting for this phrase.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

almost every

This alternative replaces "only about" with "almost", indicating a near-universal occurrence.

nearly every

This alternative replaces "only about" with "nearly", also suggesting a very high frequency.

practically every

This alternative emphasizes the idea that something happens in almost all instances, with very few exceptions.

just about every

This alternative is very close in meaning, adding slight emphasis with "just".

in almost all

This alternative shifts the structure to a prepositional phrase, specifying that something happens in almost all cases.

virtually every

This alternative uses "virtually" to indicate that something is true in almost all cases, with very rare exceptions.

close to every

This alternative conveys a similar idea of high frequency using the phrase "close to".

the majority of

This alternative focuses on quantity, meaning more than half of the total

more than half

Another form of "the majority of", focusing on quantity

on average every

Expresses the typical or mean rate at which something occurs within a specified interval.

FAQs

What does "only about every" mean?

The phrase "only about every" is used to express that something happens in almost all instances or at a high frequency, similar to saying "almost every" or "nearly every".

Is "only about every" grammatically correct?

While understandable, "only about every" is not considered standard English. It's better to use alternatives like "almost every" or "nearly every" for clarity.

How can I rephrase a sentence using "only about every" for better clarity?

Instead of saying "I check my email only about every hour", try "I check my email "almost every" hour" or "I check my email "nearly every" hour".

When is it appropriate to use "only about every"?

While acceptable in informal conversation, "only about every" should be avoided in formal writing. Use "almost every" or "nearly every" in professional contexts.