roughly ever

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "roughly ever" is not correct and does not convey a clear meaning in written English.
It is unclear when it would be appropriate to use this phrase due to its lack of clarity and grammatical correctness. Example: "I visit my grandparents roughly ever month." (This should be "roughly every month.")

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

The problem, at least in part, was with the Russian language itself: most of what had interested Nadya before going to prison had to do with philosophy, feminism and conceptual art – three areas in which Russia had systematically thwarted discussion, roughly for ever.

The Guardian - Books

It takes some trimming already, and will annoy me to no end until roughly Christmas, needing ever more snips and yanks to get the overgrowth out.

The New York Times

To understand and appreciate the après-golf scene in Bermuda one has to realise that Bermuda is an island that took one look at 1963 and the Beatles, said 'no thanks, we'll stick with what we've got', and has stayed roughly the same ever since.

The Guardian - Travel

The seven hugest mountains on our seven continents, including Everest (roughly acknowledged by most now as a "pole", being the highest point on the planet), plus both poles, and all within seven months.

The Guardian

The journey is a gift of isolation; there are no roads and therefore, the locals are not jaded by the hordes of tourists that mill around Annapurna and Everest, roughly 160 kilometres away.

BBC

The magnetic fields produced by the collisions are the most intense ever observed, roughly 100 million billion gauss, Dr. Sandweiss said.

The New York Times - Science

"Both Congress and the administration must address these concerns and deficiencies promptly, especially as more Americans than ever -- roughly 50percentt -- are invested in the stock market".

The New York Times

President Franklin Roosevelt signed the first farm bill into law in 1933, and subsequent versions have been enacted at roughly five-year intervals ever since.

The Guardian

At about the same time Israel's GDP per head relative to America's stopped climbing; it has stayed at roughly the same level ever since.All this has helped to spread the belief that a proper constitution and a new electoral system could solve Israel's woes.

The Economist

During the time I have spent in thrall to Prince's music — it's roughly thirty-five years now, ever since I bought the cassette of "1999" at a record store in suburban Miami — I have not been the kind of Prince fan who interacted much with other Prince fans.

The New Yorker

Finally, the e9500 promises improved battery life over previous models, equaling roughly two weeks without ever touching a charger.

TechCrunch

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Avoid using "roughly ever" in formal writing. Opt for more precise and grammatically sound alternatives like "almost always" or "nearly always" to convey approximation and frequency effectively.

Common error

Do not conflate the concepts of approximation and frequency. "Roughly" modifies quantity or measurement, while "ever" implies time or occurrence. Using them together creates a nonsensical phrase. Instead, choose adverbs that appropriately modify the frequency or consistency of an event.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "roughly ever" does not have a clear grammatical function. It attempts to combine an adverb of approximation ("roughly") with an adverb related to time and extent ("ever"), resulting in a construction that lacks a standard grammatical role. As Ludwig indicates, the phrase is not correct.

Expression frequency: Missing

Frequent in

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Formal & Business

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Less common in

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Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "roughly ever" is grammatically incorrect and lacks a clear, coherent meaning in standard English. Ludwig flags the phrase as incorrect. Therefore, it is advisable to avoid using "roughly ever" in both formal and informal writing. More appropriate alternatives, such as "almost always" or "nearly always", can better convey the intended sense of approximation and frequency. Remember to focus on clarity and grammatical correctness when choosing your words.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

almost always

Substitutes "roughly" with "almost", indicating a near-constant occurrence.

nearly always

Similar to "almost always", emphasizes the high probability of something occurring.

approximately always

Replaces "roughly" with a more precise synonym and "ever" with "always", conveying consistent approximation.

close to always

Emphasizes the proximity to a constant occurrence, using 'close to' instead of 'roughly'.

usually

A single-word replacement that conveys a general sense of frequency.

generally

Similar to "usually", indicating a common but not necessarily universal occurrence.

about always

Similar to "approximately always", this option retains the sense of estimation and consistent frequency.

in most cases

Specifies that the approximation applies to a majority of instances.

more or less consistently

Highlights the consistency with which an approximation holds true.

on average

Focuses on the typical or expected value over a range of instances.

FAQs

Is "roughly ever" grammatically correct?

No, the phrase "roughly ever" is not grammatically correct. It combines an adverb of approximation ("roughly") with an adverb of frequency/time ("ever") in a way that doesn't create a coherent meaning. It's best to use alternative phrases that clearly express the intended meaning.

What can I say instead of "roughly ever"?

Depending on the intended meaning, you can use alternatives like "almost always", "nearly always", or "usually". The best choice depends on whether you want to emphasize approximation or frequency.

How to avoid using "roughly ever" in my writing?

Focus on clearly expressing your intended meaning. If you want to express something that happens most of the time, use adverbs of frequency like "usually" or "often". If you want to indicate an approximate amount, stick to using "roughly" with quantities or measurements. Mixing these concepts creates ungrammatical constructions.

What is the difference between "roughly always" and "roughly ever"?

While both phrases are non-standard, "roughly always" is slightly more understandable as it implies an approximate frequency of something happening. "Roughly ever", on the other hand, is less clear and doesn't convey a coherent meaning. It's best to avoid both phrases in formal writing.