partly unclear

USAGE SUMMARY

"partly unclear" is correct and usable in written English. You can use it when describing something that is not fully clear or comprehensible. For example, "The instructions were partly unclear, leading to confusion among the team." Alternative expressions include "somewhat vague" and "not entirely clear."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

6 human-written examples

Also, the relationship between CTP parameters, tumor size and stage, tumor location, 18F-FDG-PET/CT parameters, and MVD is partly unclear.

EJNMMI Research

Therefore, it is difficult to apply standard segmentation algorithms, such as region growing [7], since fiber borders may be partly unclear and unwanted flooding may occur.

EURASIP Journal on Advances in Signal Processing

While most reports were partly unclear about the population for whom they were relevant, many also provided important and relevant information.

BMC Health Services Research

The committees responsible for the 15 remaining reports (88percentnt) gave partly unclear descriptions of how they reached their conclusions.

BMC Health Services Research

4. The description of Selection criterium #1 was partly unclear to us because the CVs in Table 1 are low (between 1.1 and 0.5) whereas we would expect a high CV for TA loci.

Biology Direct

According to the ISQ criteria for documentation (question B), clear references to the evidence will score 4 or 5, while partly unclear or definitely unclear references to evidence will score 2 or 3, depending upon the degree of uncertainty.

BMC Health Services Research

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

54 human-written examples

It remains unclear, partly because of the lack of historical data and partly because of their unpredictable nature, whether they will increase in number or strength or geographic range.

The New York Times

Just how long plastic notes last is unclear, partly because they have been around for only a few years.

The New York Times

Footnotes: Some of the details of William Jones's life remain unclear, partly because many of his personal papers have not come to light.

The Guardian

What all this means is unclear, partly because it looks stylistically familiar, but Mr. Balk has always had a certain interest in recycling.

The New York Times

Selling Assets for Settlements Just how the different dioceses will get the money to pay for current and future settlements remains unclear, partly because it is hard to know what assets the dioceses have in the first place.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

In scientific writing, use this phrase to identify gaps in existing research while acknowledging what has already been established.

Common error

Avoid using "partly unclear" when you actually mean that a statement is partially false. Unclear refers to the quality of communication or the lack of understanding, whereas 'incorrect' or 'false' refers to factual errors.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "partly unclear" functions as an adjectival phrase where the adverb "partly" acts as a submodifier for the adjective "unclear". In the examples provided by Ludwig, it often appears as a predicative adjective following a linking verb like "is" or "remains". This structure allows writers to hedge their claims, providing a nuanced critique rather than a binary clear/unclear judgment.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

55%

Academia

25%

News & Media

15%

Less common in

Wiki

3%

Formal & Business

1%

Social Media

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In conclusion, "partly unclear" is a highly effective and grammatically correct phrase used to describe information that is not fully transparent or intelligible. Ludwig AI confirms its strong presence in scientific and academic literature, where it serves as a tool for precise qualification. It is most frequently found in contexts where a researcher or journalist needs to identify specific gaps in logic or data while remaining objective. By using "partly unclear", writers can avoid overly broad generalizations and instead provide a nuanced critique of the subject matter at hand.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

not entirely clear

uses a negative construction to express the same degree of uncertainty

somewhat vague

replaces the specific lack of clarity with a more general sense of imprecision

vague in parts

shifts the emphasis from the state of the information to specific sections of the content

partially ambiguous

suggests that there are multiple interpretations possible rather than just a lack of data

partly confusing

focuses on the effect the information has on the reader rather than the quality of the information itself

slightly obscure

implies that the information is hidden or difficult to find rather than just poorly explained

somewhat murky

uses a more figurative term often applied to logic or situations lacking transparency

incompletely defined

suggests a structural lack of detail or boundaries in a definition

not fully transparent

common in business or policy contexts regarding the disclosure of information

partly misunderstood

shifts the blame to the interpretation process rather than the source material

FAQs

How to use partly unclear in a sentence?

You can use it to qualify a lack of information, such as: "The author's methodology remains partly unclear, as the sample size was not specified."

What is the difference between partly unclear and somewhat vague?

While similar, "somewhat vague" often implies a deliberate or systemic lack of detail, whereas "partly unclear" suggests that the information is simply difficult to comprehend in its current form.

Can I use not entirely clear instead of partly unclear?

Yes, "not entirely clear" is a very common and slightly more conversational alternative that functions almost identically.

Is partly unclear formal enough for academic writing?

Absolutely. Ludwig data shows a high frequency of this phrase in peer-reviewed journals like "Nature" and "ScienceDirect", making it highly appropriate for formal contexts.