possibly correct

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "possibly correct" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when expressing uncertainty about the accuracy or validity of a statement or idea. Example: "The data we have is possibly correct, but we need further verification to be sure."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

24 human-written examples

Abdul was quite possibly correct.

Independent

The good news is that Syria's willingness to play along with the Russian proposal, even if what they're playing along with turns out to be a faux-disarmament, suggests that the White House's original calculation in threatening a strike was quite possibly correct.

The New York Times

Interesting result and quite possibly correct.

Huffington Post

Consequently, utilizing normalization strategies based on Lowess would possibly correct for correlations between M and A related to genomic imbalances, resulting in loss of biologically relevant variation.

BMC Genomics

Further investigation of the specific sources of the performance differences needs to be done in order to fully understand and possibly correct the impacts of the leaky pipeline present in large-enrollment universities.

CBE Life Sciences Education

Our group alone has acquired in excess of 5.5 million tandem mass spectra from bee samples, representing a rich source of data with which to validate many bee genes and possibly correct many of the annotations.

BMC Genomics

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

36 human-written examples

But the authors of the study, led by Dr. Kyle A. Richards of Hartford Hospital, said this was the first report of a Taser's possibly correcting a problem.

The New York Times

These are absolute data, possibly corrected for stray fields (e.g. the magnetic field generated by the torquers), but otherwise not sensitive to temperature changes or ageing.

Earth, Planets and Space

One of the final portions of the letter outlines that Mehta was allegedly told about his actions but instead of listening and possibly correcting course he "doubled down" and was unable to accept his actions may have been harmful.

Vice

The most promising methods of normalization have been protein length [41] or number of theoretical and relevant tryptic peptides, possibly corrected for their propensity to be observed [18], [42].

Plosone

Most of the previous binding site prediction tools have been formulated as hypothesis testing methods, where a significance value of TF binding at a specific sequence position is obtained by comparing a test statistic to a null distribution [21] [28], and possibly correcting the significance level for multiple testing.

Plosone

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "possibly correct" when you want to express uncertainty about the validity of a statement or idea, acknowledging that further verification may be needed.

Common error

Avoid using "possibly correct" when stronger evidence suggests a higher degree of certainty. Opt for more definitive language if the information is well-supported.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "possibly correct" functions as an adverbial modifier qualifying an adjective. It indicates a degree of uncertainty or possibility regarding the correctness of something. As seen in Ludwig, it's often used to express a cautious assessment.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

Science

37%

News & Media

30%

Encyclopedias

11%

Less common in

Wiki

7%

Formal & Business

4%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "possibly correct" is a common and grammatically sound way to express a degree of uncertainty or tentative agreement. As Ludwig AI confirms, its usage is appropriate across various contexts, particularly in science and news media, where cautious and nuanced assessments are often required. Remember to use it when you want to acknowledge the potential validity of a statement without fully committing to its accuracy. Be mindful not to use it in contexts where stronger evidence warrants more definitive language.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

possibly accurate

Highlights the potential for accuracy, similar to the original phrase.

maybe right

A more informal way of expressing the possibility of being correct.

could be accurate

Expresses the possibility of being accurate with less emphasis on certainty.

potentially accurate

Focuses on the accuracy aspect, suggesting the possibility of being right.

plausibly true

Focuses on the believability of being correct.

conceivably right

Emphasizes the possibility of being correct, although perhaps unlikely.

theoretically sound

Suggests correctness based on theoretical principles, but not necessarily proven.

credibly accurate

Emphasizes the credibility of being correct, based on available evidence.

arguably valid

Indicates that there are arguments supporting its correctness.

feasibly accurate

Highlights the feasibility of being accurate, implying practicality.

FAQs

How can I use "possibly correct" in a sentence?

You can use "possibly correct" to express uncertainty or a lack of complete confidence in a statement's accuracy. For example, "The hypothesis is "possibly correct", but further research is needed to confirm it."

What are some alternatives to "possibly correct"?

Alternatives include "potentially accurate", "maybe right", or "plausibly true", depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is "possibly correct" formal or informal?

"Possibly correct" is suitable for both formal and informal contexts, though it leans slightly towards neutral. In highly formal writing, consider stronger qualifiers if appropriate.

What's the difference between "possibly correct" and "probably correct"?

"Possibly correct" implies a lower degree of confidence and a higher likelihood of being wrong compared to "probably correct". "Probably correct" suggests a reasonable basis for believing something is true, whereas "possibly correct" only acknowledges the chance of it being true.