reasonably true

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "reasonably true" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a statement or belief that is considered to be true to a reasonable extent, though it may not be absolutely true. Example: "While the theory is not universally accepted, it is reasonably true that certain factors contribute to climate change."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

7 human-written examples

It is the first pizza with a proper thick, visible underlay of tomato sauce that, despite its jammy nature, delivers a reasonably true flavour.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

More likely, the results will stay reasonably true to the forecast, with Mr. Huntsman finishing in the mid- to high teens, and Mr. Romney finishing just north or just south of 40 percent of the vote.

The New York Times

"We've been reasonably true to our values and constitutional structure," said Douglas W. Kmiec, an assistant attorney general in the Reagan administration who is now law school dean at the Catholic University of America.

The New York Times

The film stays reasonably true to Conrad's plot, while playing with the conventions of the cold war spy thriller and a certain strand of European social-realist theatre wherein the actors constantly draw attention to the fact that they are acting in order to disrupt the conventions of the audience-viewer relationship – think Brecht meets early Antonioni.

The Guardian - Arts

This is true about one day ahead and reasonably true two days ahead but the further ahead you look the less true it becomes and solar influence rules all.

BBC

In order to provide an expression for the Block Error Rate (BLER) at the MAC layer,, instantaneous BER is assumed to be equally distributed along bits, which is reasonably true if proper interleaving is performed.

EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

53 human-written examples

We know--or at least in the past this has held reasonably true--that if we take more risk, then perhaps we have a higher corresponding upside, and of course the opposite is true in that we have a potentially lower downside.

Huffington Post

While He's claims have yet to be proven, the fact that they could reasonably be true has many concerned.

Duke University

Similarly, the presence of nervous tissue in the group of aberrant extracerebral cysts, anatomically connected with the arachnoid, reasonably represents true malpositioning of neural tube progenitor cells.

Fluids and Barriers of the CNS

However, even the tools as they stand today provide significant utility reducing the number of terms that need to be assessed manually from over 25 000 to under 200, with a reasonably good true positive rate.

Bioinformatics

But as Mr Witz points out "the onus is on the state to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt, while Mr Pistorius' version only needed to be reasonably or possibly true".

BBC

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "reasonably true", consider the context and the specific degree of accuracy required. If greater precision is needed, opt for more definitive language.

Common error

Avoid using "reasonably true" when the evidence strongly supports a definitive statement. Overusing qualifiers can weaken your argument. If you have solid proof, state the fact directly.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "reasonably true" functions as an adverbial modifier qualifying the adjective "true". It indicates a level of truth that is approximate or conditional, rather than absolute. Ludwig AI identifies usage in news, science, and academic contexts.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

33%

Science

33%

Academia

16%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "reasonably true" is a grammatically correct and usable expression that indicates a qualified assessment of truth. Ludwig AI analysis shows that it is used across various contexts, including news, science, and academia, to convey that a statement is generally accurate but may not be entirely precise. While not exceptionally common, it provides a valuable way to temper claims and avoid overstatement. Alternatives such as "fairly accurate" or "largely correct" can be used depending on the context and desired nuance. Overall, "reasonably true" is a useful phrase for expressing nuanced perspectives and conveying a moderate degree of certainty.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

fairly accurate

Indicates a level of truthfulness or correctness that is above average but not perfect.

somewhat accurate

Suggests a moderate degree of correctness, implying some level of deviation from absolute truth.

largely correct

Implies that most aspects of something are true or accurate, with only minor discrepancies.

generally valid

Indicates that something is true or applicable in most situations or contexts.

mostly right

Suggests a high degree of accuracy, with only small errors or inaccuracies.

substantially correct

Implies that the core of something is true, even if some details may be inaccurate.

approximately true

Indicates a close but not exact level of truthfulness.

pretty accurate

Suggests an informal but positive assessment of accuracy, similar to 'fairly accurate'.

close to the truth

Indicates that something is nearly true, but may still contain some inaccuracies.

more or less true

Suggests an acceptance of minor inaccuracies or deviations from absolute truth.

FAQs

What does "reasonably true" mean?

The phrase "reasonably true" means that something is mostly accurate but may not be entirely precise or universally accepted. It implies a degree of truthfulness that is sufficient for the context but not necessarily absolute.

How can I use "reasonably true" in a sentence?

You can use "reasonably true" to qualify a statement that is generally accurate but might have some exceptions or limitations. For example: "While the data isn't perfect, it's "reasonably true" that sales increased last quarter."

What are some alternatives to "reasonably true"?

Alternatives to "reasonably true" include "fairly accurate", "generally valid", or "largely correct". The best choice depends on the specific context and the nuance you want to convey.

Is it better to say "reasonably true" or "absolutely true"?

The choice depends on the situation. Use "absolutely true" when something is unequivocally correct with no exceptions. Use "reasonably true" when there is a high degree of accuracy, but some uncertainty or exceptions may exist.