practically similar

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "practically similar" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to describe two things that are almost alike or have many similarities, but not exactly the same. Example: "The two designs are practically similar, making it difficult to choose between them."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

25 human-written examples

However, the adsorption activity is practically similar for Bi(0 0 1) and Bi(l 1 1) planes.

Electrochimica Acta

Non-tilting oscillations had marginal effects on the packed bed hydrodynamics which remained practically similar to the one prevailing in stationary vertical trickle beds.

Chemical Engineering Science

Therefore, the accuracy of the proposed variation of the single-wall method using RF data is practically similar to the N-wire method while offering a simpler phantom with no need for accurate design and construction.

Ultrasound in Medicine & Biology

It was concluded that, although fine structural differences have been disclosed, from the stereological point of view postnatal granule cells at 10 days were practically similar to the young adult ones at 60 days.

Annals of Anatomy - Anatomischer Anzeiger

The results showed that EC50 values of 30-min Flash Assay in tube and microplate formats were practically similar and correlated very well (log − log R2 = 0.98), classifying all analyzed chemicals, except nano CuO (that was more toxic in cuvette format), analogously when compared to the risk phrases of the EC Directive 93/67/EEC for ranking toxicity of chemicals for aquatic organisms.

Toxicology in Vitro

Nanoparticles showed practically similar anticancer activity against tumor cells as shown in Figure 4.

Nanoscale Research Letters

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

35 human-written examples

Finally, in order to verify the proposed approach, we implemented practically a similar discrete circuit as proof-of-concept prototype that it obtained input referred 1-dB compression point value with an error of about 0.15 dBm.

AEU - International Journal of Electronics and Communications

Similarly, the O2 binding energy corresponds to various oxygenated species, as for example, carbonates, sulphates, hydroxides and so on, practically, having similar BEs and thus hardly discernable by curve-fitting.

Chemistry Central Journal

With continuing stimulation, the spread of both the photoreceptor (x-axis) and LMC (y-axis) outputs stayed the same or narrowed slightly, while the most probable synaptic gain (white lines) remained practically unchanged, similar to ort6 flies (cf. Fig. 2C).

Plosone

For systems with a behaviour close to ideality, the HMAM model shows that the energy distribution was practically symmetric, with similar equilibrium constants for both kinds of sites.

Chemical Engineering Science

We used CB1 because this function is the simplest to measure being the cumulative of the events with inter-arrival times higher than 1 day, and because very similar results, practically the same, are obtained substituting CB1 with CB2 or CB3, given the similarity between the curves (Fig. 3).

Nature

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "practically similar", ensure that the context clarifies the specific aspects in which the items are alike, acknowledging any minor differences that may exist.

Common error

Avoid using "practically similar" when there are significant or material differences between the items being compared. The phrase implies a high degree of resemblance, so ensure this is accurate.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "practically similar" functions as an adverb-adjective combination that describes the degree of resemblance between two or more things. It modifies the adjective "similar", indicating that the items being compared are alike in most important respects, according to Ludwig.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

Science

73%

News & Media

14%

Encyclopedias

4%

Less common in

Wiki

2%

Formal & Business

2%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "practically similar" is a useful tool for expressing a high degree of resemblance while acknowledging minor differences. As confirmed by Ludwig, the phrase is grammatically correct and is common in scientific and technical writing, as well as news and general contexts. When using "practically similar", it's important to ensure that the context clarifies in what aspects the subjects are alike in order to prevent overstating the likeness between the items. Considering alternatives like "virtually identical" or "nearly the same" can also enhance writing precision.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

virtually identical

Emphasizes that the difference is so small as to be almost nonexistent.

nearly the same

A more straightforward and common way of expressing similarity.

almost indistinguishable

Highlights the difficulty in telling the difference between the items.

tantamount to

Indicates equivalence in effect or value, though not necessarily in appearance.

much the same

Suggests a high degree of similarity but allows for some minor differences.

for all intents and purposes identical

A more formal and emphatic way of saying 'practically identical'.

effectively alike

Focuses on the similar effect or outcome despite potential differences.

comparable

Indicates that the items can be compared and are found to be largely similar.

roughly equivalent

Suggests a general similarity in value or function.

analogous

Highlights a similarity in some respects, especially in function or position.

FAQs

How can I use "practically similar" in a sentence?

You can use "practically similar" to describe items or situations that are very much alike, although not completely identical. For example, "The two approaches yielded "practically similar" results".

What are some alternatives to "practically similar"?

Some alternatives to "practically similar" include "virtually identical", "nearly the same", and "almost indistinguishable". The best choice depends on the specific context.

Is it correct to say something is "practically similar"?

Yes, it is grammatically correct. The adverb "practically" modifies the adjective "similar" to indicate that the items are alike in most ways, even if not perfectly so.

What is the difference between "practically similar" and "exactly the same"?

"Exactly the same" means there are no differences whatsoever, while ""practically similar"" acknowledges that there may be some minor differences that do not significantly affect the overall comparison.