satisfactory by

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "satisfactory by" is not correct and does not convey a clear meaning in written English.
It may be intended to express that something meets a standard or requirement, but the phrasing is awkward and unclear. Example: "The results were satisfactory by the committee's standards." (This would be better phrased as "satisfactory according to the committee's standards.")

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Even the less generous deal six years later was privately regarded as satisfactory by the broadcaster.

The Economist

Harman has expressed regret about the episode, but this is not regarded as satisfactory by the Mail.

The Guardian

If principals deemed failing were rated satisfactory by superintendents, the department "better be prepared to fire superintendents," Ms. Levy said.

The New York Times

His team, still fielding three American internationals, deserved to win in front of a crowd pronounced satisfactory by Premier Rugby officials.

The Guardian - Sport

These companies were supposedly subjected to a rigorous "client review" process, and all of them were deemed satisfactory by a Deutsche Bank compliance team.

The New Yorker

Shacklewell, which is rated "satisfactory" by Ofsted, is a larger than average primary school where many children speak English as a second language.

The Guardian

During 1996, for example, there were only 39 days when ozone in the city's air was "satisfactory" by World Health Organisation standards.

The Economist

And when voters were asked to rate each leader's performance, the scores were almost identical, with each rated as good by around 30%, satisfactory by around 34% and poor by close to 40% of voters.

The Guardian

Euclid's discussion of unique factorization is not satisfactory by modern standards, but its essence can be found in Proposition 32 of Book VII and Proposition 14 of Book IX.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Mr. Scoppetta acknowledged that the group home evaluation could not break out Hegeman's performance from the seven other city residences administered by the office for Brooklyn and Staten Island, which received a grade of about 75, considered satisfactory by the city.

The New York Times

Ultimately, however, this response may seem less than entirely satisfactory by itself.

SEP

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

While "satisfactory by" appears in some contexts, it is often better to use more precise language such as "satisfactory to", "considered satisfactory by", or "rated as satisfactory by" to enhance clarity and grammatical correctness.

Common error

Avoid using "satisfactory by" as a direct adjective modifier. Instead of saying "a satisfactory by result", rephrase to "a result considered satisfactory by…" or "a result that meets the standards of…"

Linguistic Context

The phrase "satisfactory by" functions as a prepositional phrase that attempts to indicate the agent or standard against which something is deemed acceptable. However, it is not grammatically standard, and as Ludwig AI points out, it's often better to use alternative constructions.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

40%

News & Media

38%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

2%

Wiki

2%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "satisfactory by" is frequently found across diverse sources like news, science, and business. However, it is considered grammatically incorrect and awkward by Ludwig AI. While it aims to convey that something meets a certain standard, alternative phrases such as "satisfactory to", "deemed satisfactory by", or "considered satisfactory by" are more grammatically sound and precise. The prevalence of "satisfactory by" suggests that while it's used, writers should aim for clearer alternatives to enhance communication. Despite its common occurrence, clarity and correctness should take precedence. Aim to use phrases like "acceptable to", "meets the standards of", or "sufficient for" to express your intent more precisely.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

deemed satisfactory by

Similar meaning, emphasizing judgment or assessment of satisfactoriness.

considered satisfactory by

Expresses an evaluation or opinion of satisfactoriness from a specific viewpoint.

rated satisfactory by

Focuses on a formal rating or evaluation process.

judged satisfactory by

Implies a formal judgment or assessment of whether something meets requirements.

found satisfactory by

Indicates a discovery or determination of satisfactoriness through examination.

met the standards of

Focuses on meeting specific criteria or benchmarks set by someone.

acceptable to

Highlights acceptance or approval from a particular party.

passed the requirements of

Implies fulfilling mandatory needs or conditions.

adequate for

Expresses a basic level of sufficiency for a particular purpose.

sufficient for

Suggests fulfilling a need or requirement to a necessary degree.

FAQs

Is "satisfactory by" grammatically correct?

While the phrase "satisfactory by" appears in some contexts, it is generally considered grammatically awkward. It's often better to use alternatives like "satisfactory to", "deemed satisfactory by", or "considered "satisfactory by"" for clarity.

What are some alternatives to "satisfactory by"?

You can use phrases like "satisfactory to", "acceptable to", "meets the standards of", "considered "satisfactory by"", or "deemed "satisfactory by"" depending on the specific context.

How can I use "deemed satisfactory by" in a sentence?

Example: "The project was deemed satisfactory by the review committee." This construction clarifies that the committee made the judgment.

Is there a difference between "satisfactory to" and "satisfactory by"?

Yes, "satisfactory to" is generally preferred because it directly indicates the person or entity that finds something satisfactory. "Satisfactory by" is less clear and may sound awkward. Use "satisfactory to" to clearly show who is pleased or content.