seen of

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "seen of" is not grammatically correct.
You may be trying to use the phrase "seen by," which is sometimes used in written English, usually to indicate that one thing was witnessed or observed by another. Example: The suspect was seen by three witnesses.

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

53 human-written examples

That remains to be seen, of course.

The New York Times

"What I've seen of it is glorious".

The New York Times

And that was the last anybody had seen of Waleed.

The New Yorker

And that's the last anyone has seen of her.

The Guardian

NBC executives liked what they'd seen of Couric.

The New Yorker

From what I've seen of the photographic evidence, phooey.

The New Yorker

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

7 human-written examples

Last we'll see of them".

The Economist

"We'll see, of course.

The New York Times - Sports

What you see of them is authentic".

Wikipedia

(See Tropic of Cancer).

Encyclopedia Britannica

See economy of scale.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Avoid using the phrase "seen of" in formal writing. Instead, use "seen by" or other more grammatically accepted alternatives to maintain clarity and credibility.

Common error

Many writers mistakenly use "of" instead of "by" after "seen" when indicating who or what is doing the seeing. Always use "by" to correctly attribute the act of seeing.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "seen of" functions incorrectly as a prepositional phrase aiming to indicate agency or possession, which is grammatically flawed. Ludwig AI identifies that the correct preposition to use after "seen" to indicate the observer is "by."

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

61%

Science

17%

Wiki

7%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

3%

Formal & Business

2%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "seen of" appears frequently across various sources, but it's generally considered grammatically incorrect. Ludwig AI highlights that the correct form is "seen by" when indicating the observer or agent. While you might encounter "seen of" in informal contexts, it's best to avoid it in formal writing to maintain clarity and credibility. Remember to use "seen by" or other alternatives like "viewed by" and "observed by" for grammatically sound writing. Although "seen of" is very common, its usage is not recommended.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

seen by

Replaces the preposition to indicate the subject doing the seeing.

viewed by

Uses a different verb with a similar meaning and corrects the preposition.

observed by

Offers a more formal alternative with the correct preposition.

witnessed by

Implies a more direct and personal form of seeing, with correct preposition.

noticed by

Suggests a more casual observation, with the correct preposition.

apparent to

Shifts the focus to the visibility of something, using a correct preposition.

visible to

Highlights the capability of being seen, using the correct preposition.

detected by

Indicates discovery through sight, using the correct preposition.

identified by

Suggests a more specific recognition, using the correct preposition.

spotted by

Implies a quick or chance sighting, using the correct preposition.

FAQs

What's a more grammatically correct alternative to "seen of"?

The correct alternative is usually "seen by", which indicates who or what is doing the seeing. For example, instead of "The movie was seen of many people", say "The movie was seen by many people".

Is "seen of" ever correct?

In standard English, "seen of" is generally considered grammatically incorrect. It's best to avoid this phrasing in formal writing. Although it appears in many sources, that doesn't make it correct.

How can I remember to use "seen by" instead of "seen of"?

Think of "by" as indicating the agent or person performing the action. Just like you'd say "written by" or "directed by", use "seen by" to show who or what did the seeing.

What does it mean if something is "seen of" someone in informal language?

While not grammatically correct, if someone uses "seen of" informally, they likely mean that something was witnessed or observed by that person, similar to "seen by".