prohibitively small

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "prohibitively small" is correct and usable in written English.
It is typically used to describe something that is so small that it makes a particular action or decision impractical or impossible. Example: "The budget for the project is prohibitively small, making it difficult to achieve our goals."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

10 human-written examples

Although some of the 103 rooms are not very big -- indeed, a single room is prohibitively small -- they are spotless and well appointed, with gleaming marble-and-tile bathrooms, and there is a lovely, blissfully quiet courtyard for guests.

The New York Times - Travel

For such problems, the IMPES approach usually suffers from prohibitively small timesteps in order to obtain stable numerical solutions.

Journal of Computational Physics

This method allows the time step independent of the mean free time which is prohibitively small in the fluid dynamic regime.

Journal of Computational Physics

The number of participants with arsenic levels greater than the current MCL was prohibitively small to examine gene-environment interaction at arsenic concentrations greater than 10 μg/L.

Environmental Health: A Global Access Science Source

In addition, it is likely that the number of respondents with experience with specific treatment combinations would be prohibitively small for a valid analysis.

BMC Pediatrics

Furthermore, our technology should combine easily with other genomics approaches, for instance Chia-PET [ 28], to permit generation of libraries from otherwise prohibitively small amounts of DNA.

BMC Genomics

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

49 human-written examples

The volume of information available to the user becomes larger while the time necessary for correctly interpreting and understanding this information becomes prohibitively smaller.

Expert Systems with Applications

Its prohibitively low prices warded off competition.

The New Yorker

North Korean leaders know that they are safe from military retaliation — a large-scale war against the North is winnable but prohibitively costly, while small-scale strikes against their military installations would only kill common soldiers, whose lives are expendable.

The New York Times

Even when they do, premiums can be prohibitively expensive, because small businesses can't negotiate the discounts given to large group plans.

The New York Times - Health

For Goldwyn, the trick lies in selling to a pair of high-brow audiences — that for fine art, and that for new music — that are heavily embedded in a pair of cities, New York and Los Angeles, where conventional movie advertising is prohibitively expensive for small movies.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "prohibitively small" to clearly convey that the size of something is a significant barrier to its intended use or effectiveness. For instance, "The sample size was "prohibitively small", making it difficult to draw statistically significant conclusions".

Common error

Avoid using "prohibitively small" when something is merely inconveniently small. This phrase implies the small size makes something effectively impossible or impractical, not just mildly annoying.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "prohibitively small" functions as an adjectival modifier, specifically describing the degree to which the size of something limits its usefulness or practicality. Ludwig AI confirms its role in indicating that the size is so limiting that it creates a significant obstacle. The Examples show how it modifies nouns like "timesteps", "amounts of DNA", and "sample sizes" to emphasize their inadequacy.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

67%

News & Media

33%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "prohibitively small" is an adjectival phrase that denotes that something is so limited in size that it becomes impractical or impossible to use effectively. Ludwig AI validates its accurate usage in professional and academic writing. It is most frequently found in scientific contexts and news media, signaling a neutral to formal register. When using this phrase, ensure that the small size truly acts as a barrier, rather than merely an inconvenience. Alternatives such as "excessively minuscule" or "unfeasibly tiny" can be used to add nuance.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

excessively minuscule

Replaces "small" with a synonym indicating extreme tininess and "prohibitively" with an adjective of excess.

unfeasibly tiny

Replaces "prohibitively" with a term denoting impracticality and "small" with a synonym emphasizing tininess.

impractically minute

Highlights the impracticality due to extreme smallness.

unacceptably limited

Focuses on the inadequacy and restricted nature of the small size.

insufficiently large

Emphasizes the lack of sufficient size, indirectly implying it is too small to be useful.

critically undersized

Stresses the critical deficiency in size, making it inadequate.

remarkably reduced

Highlights the significant reduction in size to an impractical level.

unduly diminished

Indicates that the size has been reduced to an inappropriate or excessive extent.

restrictingly compact

Focuses on the compact nature of the item restricting its use or effectiveness.

inappropriately scaled

Suggests that the size is not suitable for its intended purpose.

FAQs

How can I use "prohibitively small" in a sentence?

You can use "prohibitively small" to describe something whose size makes it impractical or impossible for a particular purpose. For example, "The research grant was "prohibitively small", preventing a thorough investigation."

What are some alternatives to the phrase "prohibitively small"?

Alternatives include "excessively minuscule", "unfeasibly tiny", or "impractically minute", depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is "prohibitively small" the same as "extremely small"?

While both describe something of limited size, "prohibitively small" implies that the size is a barrier to use or effectiveness, whereas "extremely small" simply describes size. Something "prohibitively small" is not just tiny; it's functionally impaired by its tininess.

When is it appropriate to use "prohibitively small" instead of just "small"?

Use "prohibitively small" when the limited size is a critical factor hindering or preventing a desired outcome. Simply stating "small" doesn't necessarily convey the same degree of limitation or impracticality.