relatively lack of

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "relatively lack of" is not correct and should not be used in written English.
For example, the phrase "relatively lack of knowledge" is incorrect and should instead be written as "relatively little knowledge".

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

4 human-written examples

At the same time, students showed a relatively lack of interactional functions.

Language Testing in Asia

Section 8 aims to highlight the importance of the relatively lack of engagement of such legal mechanisms by highlighting the limits of other alternative forms of control.

Life Sciences, Society and Policy

"I need to sleep during the day", we found that 687 patients (32.6%) responded to it with "not at all" indicating relatively lack of applicability in COPD, and it also showed a low r coefficient, 0.29.

Health and Quality of Life Outcomes

This might reflect the relatively lack of funding opportunities for investigators in Hong Kong – it is estimated that only 0.69% of Hong Kong's gross domestic product (GDP) was spent on research and development in all disciplines of science and technology in 2004, while the corresponding figures were 2.78% in the UK, 2.67% in USA, 1.96% in Canada, and 1.69% in Australia [ 25].

BMC Health Services Research

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

54 human-written examples

The temporal stability characteristics were relatively lack in a state of transition from wet to dry.

Journal of Hydrology

The islands are some of the youngest, most pristine land masses and home to large numbers of species of flora and fauna peculiar to the setting because of its geographic isolation and, until relatively recently, lack of human contact.

The New York Times - Travel

An investigation of weld quality showed relatively large lack of penetration in the weld root.

Engineering Failure Analysis

Typical Giffen goods are seen as inferior products where there is relatively little lack of substitution for another good and where the purchase of the good also requires a significant portion of an individual's income.

Huffington Post

Immunocontraception promises many advantages over the methods of contraception currently available for human use which include high target specificity, long term action but not permanent, relatively inexpensive, lack of endocrine or metabolic side effects, and easy to use and does not require insertion of an implant or device and does not require surgical intervention [ 9].

BioMed Research International

The study of genetics in GDM has been relatively lacking until the recent advent of genome-wide association (GWA) studies (see below).

Genome Medicine

The answer, as is so often the case, is political support — or, until relatively recently, the lack of it — and, inevitably, cost.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Instead of using the grammatically incorrect phrase "relatively lack of", opt for more accurate and idiomatic expressions such as "relatively little", "a relative lack of", or "somewhat lacking in" followed by the noun you're describing.

Common error

Avoid directly combining "relatively" with "lack of" as it creates an awkward construction. The adverb "relatively" should modify an adjective or verb, not the noun phrase "lack of". Prefer rephrasing for clarity.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "relatively lack of" functions as a qualifier expressing a deficiency or absence to a certain degree. Ludwig AI indicates this construction is not grammatically correct and recommends alternative phrasing.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

75%

News & Media

25%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "relatively lack of" is generally considered grammatically incorrect. Ludwig AI suggests alternative phrasing like "relatively little", "a relative lack of", or "somewhat lacking in". Although the phrase appears across various sources, including scientific and news media, it's important to prioritize grammatical accuracy and clarity in writing. Given its rarity and the availability of better alternatives, it is best to avoid using this phrase. Remember that while Ludwig can show you where a phrase occurs, that doesn't always mean that the phrase is considered correct.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

slightly deficient in

Indicates a small degree of lacking, similar to "relatively".

comparative absence of

Replaces "lack" with "absence" and "relatively" with "comparative", maintaining a similar degree of deficiency.

relative deficiency in

Substitutes "lack" with "deficiency" and uses "in" to connect to the object, offering a slightly more formal tone.

partial inadequacy of

Replaces "lack" with "inadequacy" and "relatively" with "partial", indicating something is not fully sufficient.

limited availability of

Focuses on the limited nature of something instead of its absence.

somewhat wanting in

Uses a more literary expression, indicating a lack in a specific quality or aspect.

noticeably insufficient in

Highlights a lack that is apparent or easily observed.

moderately devoid of

Emphasizes absence to a certain extent.

comparatively short on

Suggests a limited quantity of something rather than a complete absence.

a certain scarcity of

Focuses on the scarcity or limited supply of something.

FAQs

What's a grammatically correct alternative to "relatively lack of"?

Instead of "relatively lack of", you can use "a relative lack of", "relatively little", or "somewhat lacking in", depending on the intended meaning.

How can I use "relative" and "lack" correctly in a sentence?

Ensure you use "relative" to modify the degree of the lack, as in "a relative lack of resources" or use "relatively" to modify an adjective such as "relatively small".

Is there a difference between "relative lack of" and "relatively little"?

"Relative lack of" implies a deficiency compared to something else, whereas "relatively little" directly indicates a small quantity. While similar, the former emphasizes the comparison.

When should I use "somewhat lacking in" instead of "relatively lack of"?

Since "relatively lack of" is not grammatically correct, "somewhat lacking in" is always the better choice. Use "somewhat lacking in" to express that something is missing a particular quality or element to a certain degree.