prohibitive number of

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "prohibitive number of" is correct and usable in written English.
It is typically used to describe a quantity that is so large that it prevents or discourages action or participation. Example: "The prohibitive number of applicants made it difficult for the hiring committee to select candidates for the position."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

20 human-written examples

The resulting binary programming problem is shown to have a simple and global optimum solution but which also necessitates a prohibitive number of observation statistics.

Pattern Recognition

Instead of simulating a prohibitive number of oscillators, our particle method simulates relatively few particles allowing for the efficient solution of the governing equation.

Journal of Computational Physics

This method employs the scattering phase functions directly, instead of expanding over their Legendre moments as in the original formulation, and hence is not compromised in cases where a prohibitive number of moments is required to maintain accuracy.

Journal of Quantitative Spectroscopy and Radiative Transfer

The first reason pertains to the fact that obtaining a significant frequency of appearance of such rare events would require a prohibitive number of simulation runs.

EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking

Indeed, a naive particle-based implementation is unable to explore the entire state-space without omission, unless a prohibitive number of particles is used.

EURASIP Journal on Advances in Signal Processing

This phenomenon prevents long enough coherent integration for low SNR targets to generate particles with significant weights, unless a prohibitive number of particles is employed.

EURASIP Journal on Advances in Signal Processing

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

40 human-written examples

Although genetic interaction, expression profiling and chromatin binding approaches can provide lists of candidate TGs, they each suffer from disadvantages such as high cost, technical limitations, inability to detect direct TGs, and prohibitive numbers of conditions to test [6].

Plosone

Still, the mp-MIQP complexity becomes quickly prohibitive as the number of faulty models increases.

Automatica

Even with powerful computers, maximum likelihood methods can be prohibitive if the number of taxa is large.

Encyclopedia Britannica

The complexity may become prohibitive when the number of antennas is significantly increased and, thereby, when implementing a high order full-duplex MIMO device, alternative methods for RF cancellation might have to be considered.

EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking

This means that the knapsack optimizer must evaluate all configurations for all applications across all workloads, which rapidly becomes computationally prohibitive as the number of applications and potential workloads increases.

EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "prohibitive number of", ensure the context clearly indicates why the quantity is problematic. Avoid vague statements; specify the consequences or limitations caused by the large number.

Common error

Avoid using "prohibitive number of" in casual conversation or informal writing. Opt for simpler alternatives like "too many" or "a lot of" to maintain a natural tone.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "prohibitive number of" typically functions as a pre-modifier in a sentence, describing a noun by indicating that its quantity is so large as to discourage or prevent a certain action or outcome. According to Ludwig, this phrase is grammatically correct and widely used.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

Science

77%

News & Media

14%

Formal & Business

9%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "prohibitive number of" is a grammatically sound phrase used to describe an impractical or unmanageable quantity. According to Ludwig, it is generally correct and usable. Predominantly found in science, news, and business contexts, this phrase helps convey limitations or obstacles caused by sheer volume. To ensure correct usage, specify the consequences of the large quantity and avoid overuse in casual writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

excessive quantity of

Replaces "number" with a more general term for amount; slightly less specific.

unreasonable amount of

Emphasizes the lack of justification for the large quantity.

impractical quantity of

Highlights the unsuitability of the large number for a given purpose.

astronomical number of

Uses a hyperbolic adjective to emphasize the extremely large quantity.

exorbitant amount of

Implies the quantity is beyond what is reasonable or justifiable.

unmanageable quantity of

Highlights the difficulty in handling the large number.

unwieldy number of

Similar to 'unmanageable', suggesting the quantity is difficult to handle or control.

crippling amount of

Suggests the quantity is so large it causes significant problems or limitations.

debilitating number of

Similar to 'crippling', indicating the quantity weakens or impairs.

overwhelming quantity of

Emphasizes the feeling of being burdened or overcome by the large number.

FAQs

How can I use "prohibitive number of" in a sentence?

Use "prohibitive number of" to describe a quantity so large it prevents a certain action or outcome. For example, "The "prohibitive number of" applications made it impossible to interview everyone."

What are some alternatives to "prohibitive number of"?

Depending on the context, you can use alternatives like "excessive quantity of", "unreasonable amount of", or "overwhelming quantity of".

Is it correct to say "a prohibitive amount of" instead of "prohibitive number of"?

While "prohibitive number of" is generally used for countable items, "a prohibitive amount of" can be used for uncountable items or when referring to a general quantity. The choice depends on the specific noun you are modifying.

What makes a quantity "prohibitive"?

A quantity is considered "prohibitive" when it is so large that it creates significant obstacles, making something impractical, impossible, or excessively costly. For instance, a "prohibitive number of" errors could render a dataset unusable.