regrettable however

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "regrettable however" is not correct as it stands and is awkward in written English.
It can be used when expressing a sense of disappointment or sorrow about a situation, but it needs to be restructured for clarity. Example: "The decision was regrettable; however, it was necessary for the project's success."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

3 human-written examples

What's regrettable, however, is that most of these ballets have been simplified to make their Romanticism more sentimental or their dances more academically acrobatic.

The New York Times - Arts

It would have been regrettable, however, had the sponsors refused to compromise, and as a result, lost the chance to extend basic civil rights to the millions of Americans who would be covered by the current bill.

The New York Times

It is regrettable, however, that Munich's performing version did not include music for the opera singer Stella, Hoffmann's constant love interest and, in a sense, the real-life embodiment of the ones described in the tales.

The New York Times - Arts

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

The book's most regrettable deficiency, however, is in its use of primary sources.

The New York Times - Books

Above all, and however regrettable it may be, most of the 43% of European voters who actually voted did so on a national basis.

The Guardian - Opinion

However regrettable it is to reinforce male and female stereotypes, he said, Web sites selling technical goods would be well advised to consider male voices for their sites.

The New York Times - Tech

Eliot scholars had long known of his weakness for the scurrilous and the racist; it was, however regrettable, part of the scenery.

The New Yorker

In a characteristically deft addition, Macintyre quotes the judgment of the appeal court in the case of one of his victims: "Discourtesy, even gross discourtesy, to counsel, however regrettable, could not be a ground for quashing a conviction".

The Guardian - Books

Frederick Laberge, a spokesman for Aetna, said in a statement that "we do not believe a court would permit a lawsuit over events which -- however regrettable -- occurred hundreds of years ago".

The New York Times

And, however regrettable the uneven application of the EU's fiscal rules, the European commission's recent decision to give France more time to reduce its budget deficit to 3% of GDP is welcome, coming as it did against the backdrop of a weak economy.

The Guardian - Business

The committee concluded that "however regrettable a personal reference might have been, it is a good deal more likely to have been a statement that was integral to an argument about the uses of history and lineage than an act approaching intimidation".

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Reorder the phrase for clarity. Instead of "regrettable however", consider "however regrettable" or separate the ideas into two sentences for better readability.

Common error

Avoid combining "regrettable" and "however" directly. This construction often results in an unnatural and unclear sentence. Instead, restructure your sentence to clearly separate the expression of regret from the contrasting element.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "regrettable however" functions as an attempt to express regret followed by a contrasting element. However, it's grammatically awkward, as pointed out by Ludwig. The intention is to convey disappointment alongside a qualification or opposing idea.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

66%

Science

33%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "regrettable however" is a grammatically questionable phrase used to express regret followed by a contrasting element. While it appears in some contexts, such as News & Media, Ludwig indicates that it is not the most effective way to communicate this idea and suggests that it's grammatically incorrect. To improve clarity and flow, consider alternatives like "unfortunately though" or restructuring the sentence entirely. Understanding the intended purpose—expressing regret while introducing a contrast—allows for selecting more appropriate and polished phrasing. Authoritative sources occasionally use the phrase, but revised phrasing is best for polished writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

unfortunately though

Replaces "regrettable" with "unfortunately", maintaining the sense of disappointment but offering a smoother flow.

sadly but

Substitutes "regrettable" with "sadly", emphasizing the sorrowful aspect while retaining the contrast.

it's a pity, yet

Expresses regret more directly with "it's a pity" while "yet" introduces the contrasting element.

it's unfortunate, nevertheless

Uses "unfortunate" to convey regret and "nevertheless" to introduce a contrasting point.

though it is regrettable

Reorders the phrase to improve grammatical correctness, placing "though" at the beginning.

while regrettable

Offers a concise alternative, emphasizing the regretful aspect as a subordinate clause.

however unfortunate

Inverts the order, putting emphasis on 'however' and creating a more formal tone.

regrettably, but

Adds the adverb "regrettably" for emphasis, followed by a "but" to introduce the contrast.

although it's regrettable

Starts with "although" to introduce a concession, followed by "it's regrettable".

even if regrettable

Uses "even if" to suggest a hypothetical situation where regret exists alongside something else.

FAQs

How can I rephrase "regrettable however" to sound more natural?

You can use alternatives like "unfortunately though", "sadly but", or rephrase the sentence to separate the regret from the contrast.

Is "regrettable however" grammatically correct?

While understandable, "regrettable however" is not considered grammatically correct in formal writing. It's better to use a smoother construction such as "though it is regrettable" or split it into two sentences.

What's a more formal way to express the idea of "regrettable however"?

For a more formal tone, consider using "it is unfortunate, nevertheless" or "however unfortunate". These options provide a more polished and grammatically sound expression.

What is the difference between "regrettable however" and "however regrettable"?

"However regrettable" is a more grammatically sound construction. "Regrettable however" is seen as awkward phrasing and should be avoided in formal writing. The inverted order flows better and is more easily understood.