preliminary signal

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "preliminary signal" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when referring to an initial indication or warning that precedes further information or action. Example: "The researchers received a preliminary signal indicating that the experiment was yielding positive results."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

4 human-written examples

Hence, preliminary signal processing must be designed to extract significant data even in the presence of unknown, weak or transient excitations.

Journal of Wind Engineering and Industrial Aerodynamics

Arimoclomol was well tolerated and demonstrated a preliminary signal for potential therapeutic benefit in patients with IBM, supporting further research of arimoclomol in this disease [ 57].

Current Opinion in Rheumatology

To obtain a preliminary signal for clinical activity, a prespecified expansion of the MTD cohort to a maximum of nine patients was implemented.

British Journal of Cancer

The same methodology for power analysis as step 3 was used in order to assess the power and sample size needed in order to validate the chromosome 22 preliminary signal.

BMC Medical Genomics

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

55 human-written examples

Could these issues be preliminary signals of an impending move entirely over to New Twitter?

TechCrunch

Although teens usually send out some preliminary signals of not wanting to accompany the family on its vacation, we are usually caught off guard when our child actually utters the words "I don't want to go".

Huffington Post

In addition, the pharmacokinetic profile, pharmacodynamic activity in various surrogate tissues and preliminary signals of anti-tumour activity were assessed.

British Journal of Cancer

Current signal analysis methods typically have three steps: build literature based preliminary signaling pathways model; generate gene expression experimental data; detect the shortest path as the specific signal and verify biological meaning.

BioMed Research International

Regardless of the marker considered, we found evidence of 'star-like' genealogies [ 49], where sampled lineages experienced independent evolution since their most recent common ancestor, which may be considered as preliminary signals of recent demographic expansions [ 50, 51].

BMC Evolutionary Biology

These preliminary data signal potential value-based conflicts, and can inform concrete future policy interventions as genomic medicine is increasingly employed in African countries.

Genome Medicine

We further analyzed the 310 reads (26.5% of failed) in the preliminary "Low signal strength" category in Table 1 to more finely determine each failure mode.

BMC Genomics

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "preliminary signal" to introduce an idea or finding that needs further investigation. This sets the expectation that more information will follow.

Common error

Avoid presenting a "preliminary signal" as definitive proof or a conclusive finding. Emphasize its exploratory nature and the need for additional evidence to support or refute it.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "preliminary signal" functions as a noun phrase, where "preliminary" modifies the noun "signal". It describes an initial or early indication of something, as seen in Ludwig's examples relating to clinical activity or potential therapeutic benefits.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

75%

News & Media

25%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "preliminary signal" is a grammatically correct and usable phrase that refers to an early indication or sign. Ludwig AI confirms its validity and appropriate usage, predominantly in scientific and news contexts. When using this phrase, it's crucial to contextualize the signal's implications and acknowledge the need for further investigation. While synonyms like "initial indication" or "early sign" exist, "preliminary signal" specifically emphasizes the tentative nature of the information, ensuring clarity and accuracy in communication.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

preliminary indication

Very close synonym, but replaces "signal" with "indication."

preliminary sign

Uses "sign" instead of "signal", keeping the meaning very similar.

initial indication

Focuses on the aspect of being the very first sign or piece of information available.

early indication

Highlights the temporal aspect, suggesting that the signal is appearing at an early stage.

first sign

Emphasizes the order of appearance, indicating it's the very first observable sign.

early warning sign

Emphasizes the function of the signal as a warning of potential future events or problems.

initial evidence

Highlights that the signal is providing early evidence or proof of something.

advance notice

Highlights the aspect of providing information ahead of time, allowing for preparation or action.

early clue

Suggests the signal is a piece of evidence that helps solve a mystery or understand a situation.

preliminary data

Indicates that the signal is part of a set of initial data collected for analysis.

FAQs

How can I use "preliminary signal" in a sentence?

You can use "preliminary signal" to introduce an early indication of something. For example, "The study showed a "preliminary signal" of improvement in patients undergoing the new treatment.".

What's a good alternative to "preliminary signal"?

Alternatives include "initial indication", "early sign", or "preliminary indication", depending on the nuance you want to convey.

When is it appropriate to use "preliminary signal" in a scientific context?

It's appropriate to use "preliminary signal" when describing early data that suggests a potential trend or effect, but requires further research to confirm its validity.

What does it mean when research shows a "preliminary signal"?

A "preliminary signal" suggests there's an initial hint or indication of a potential effect or relationship, but the evidence isn't strong enough to draw firm conclusions. More research is needed.