principally significant

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "principally significant" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe something that is mainly or primarily important or meaningful in a particular context. Example: "The research findings are principally significant for understanding the impact of climate change on biodiversity."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

This systematic bias is principally significant in Tropical North Atlantic Ocean and Arabian Sea due to desert dust outflows in those regions.

Advances in Space Research

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

Many investigations failed to observe such an increase in heart rate; principally no significant alteration of pulse rate was found [ 14, 16– 18, 21, 26].

BioMed Research International

These noncontrolled studies provided positive answers to the earlier question, principally concerning a significant decrease in albumin excretion levels.

Seminars in Nephrology

The retail sector is also expected to undertake significant new investments, principally shopping malls and supermarkets in provincial cities.

Forbes

For example, in Sweden the economic driving forces have mainly underlain arable land changes, whereas the changes in the Czech Republic between the late 1940s and the late 1980s were principally political, resulting in a significant impact upon the physical landscape.

Applied Geography

St. John et al. (2005) compared CHEX with four other tools designed principally to attract attention towards significant events in the dynamic visual scene: a static table that chronologically listed the time and nature of each significant change; two types of instant replay; and explicit markers with "pop" sounds to accompany changes.

Cognitive Research: Principles and Implications

According to [34], 37 out of 56 sampling points (66%) located within the study area are assigned to be coniferous forests, followed by non-irrigated arable lands (21%), by mixed forests (7%), transitional woodland-shrubs (4%) and by lands principally occupied by agriculture, with significant areas of natural vegetation (2%).

Environmental Sciences Europe

Geologically significant events are identified principally on the basis of detailed structural analysis presented in a companion paper (Torgersen and Viola, 2014).

Earth and Planetary Science Letters

Self-deconvolutions of the Fig. 3A spectra confirmed that MB is polymorphic, principally adopting α-helix but with significant contributions from β-sheet, loop-turn and disordered components (Table 1).

Plosone

In contrast, sirolimus patients enrolled in de novo immunosuppression trials did not have a reduced risk of malignancy or non-melanoma skin cancer principally because of a non- significant increase in the risk of other types of cancer.

British Medical Journal

The report reads: "Given the only partial effectiveness of existing protection and management in addressing the most significant pressures on the ecosystem (principally arising from outside the region), the loss of resilience is expected to continue".

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "principally significant" to clearly indicate that something is important due to a primary factor, but acknowledge that other factors may also contribute to its significance.

Common error

Avoid using "principally significant" when the significance is only marginal or secondary. Ensure the primary factor genuinely carries substantial weight.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "principally significant" functions as an adverb-adjective combination, modifying a noun to indicate that its significance stems primarily from a specific reason. As Ludwig AI points out, it highlights the main importance or meaningfulness within a given context.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

60%

News & Media

20%

Encyclopedias

10%

Less common in

Wiki

10%

Formal & Business

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "principally significant" is a grammatically correct phrase used to denote that something's importance stems primarily from a specific factor. Though relatively rare, it finds its niche in formal and scientific writing, where precision is valued. As Ludwig AI confirms, it effectively communicates the main reason for significance. When using this phrase, ensure the context aligns with its formal tone and the primary factor is genuinely substantial. Consider alternatives like "chiefly important" or "mainly significant" for less formal situations.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

chiefly important

Replaces "principally" with "chiefly", emphasizing the main or foremost aspect of significance.

primarily important

Substitutes "principally" with "primarily", highlighting the fundamental importance.

mainly significant

Replaces "principally" with "mainly", indicating the primary but not exclusive significance.

largely significant

Uses "largely" instead of "principally", suggesting a considerable degree of significance.

substantially important

Emphasizes the significant impact or effect, replacing "principally" with "substantially".

notably significant

Highlights the notable aspect of the significance, changing "principally" to "notably".

particularly important

Replaces "principally" with "particularly", indicating a specific focus of importance.

especially significant

Uses "especially" to emphasize the high degree of significance.

prominently significant

Highlights the prominent or conspicuous nature of the significance.

critically important

Emphasizes the critical or crucial nature of the significance.

FAQs

How can I use "principally significant" in a sentence?

You can use "principally significant" to describe something that is mainly important or meaningful in a particular context. For example: "The research findings are principally significant for understanding the impact of climate change on biodiversity."

What are some alternatives to "principally significant"?

You can use alternatives like "chiefly important", "primarily important", or "mainly significant" depending on the context.

Is "principally significant" formal or informal?

"Principally significant" is suitable for formal contexts, such as academic papers or professional reports. In more casual settings, you might prefer simpler phrases like "mainly important" or "especially significant".

What is the difference between "principally significant" and "primarily significant"?

While both phrases convey the idea of main importance, "principally significant" may suggest a slightly broader scope, encompassing the core reason something is important, while "primarily significant" more directly emphasizes the fundamental aspect of importance.