significant adverse effect

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "significant adverse effect" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used in contexts such as environmental assessments, health studies, or any situation where a notable negative impact is being discussed. Example: "The study revealed a significant adverse effect on the local wildlife due to the new construction project."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Climate change can have a significant adverse effect in the short term.

The Guardian

"A profound decrease in slow-wave sleep had an immediate and significant adverse effect on insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance".

The Guardian

And 22percentt of all those surveyed said there was a significant adverse effect on their health.

The New York Times

Earlier, Watson told councillors that the scheme would have a significant adverse effect on the local area, whose residents were overwhelmingly against it.

The Guardian

These studies have revealed marrow toxicity as a significant adverse effect of GCV.

Clinical and Applied Immunology Reviews

Infection exerted a more significant adverse effect on feed and nutrient intake by lambs in MP.

Small Ruminant Research

"The graft-antenna is stable in the body after implantation and can facilitate axon regeneration with no significant adverse effect," say the team.

MIT Technology Review

96% felt that the mandating hospital should be liable should a significant adverse effect occur from receiving the vaccine.

Vaccine

According to a filing by the company on Wednesday with the Securities and Exchange Commission, "the delisting of the company's common stock would have a significant adverse effect on the stock's liquidity".

The New York Times

I think the "benefits" of alcohol have been generally overstated, though it appears to take more than a moderate intake of alcohol to have a significant adverse effect on health.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

"The court finds that the government has failed to prove that the governance structures of the Visa and MasterCard associations have resulted in a significant adverse effect on competition or consumer welfare," Judge Jones said in a 157-page opinion.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When discussing the impact of a decision or event, quantify the "significant adverse effect" whenever possible. Providing specific data or metrics strengthens your argument and clarifies the extent of the negative consequence. For example, instead of saying "the policy had a significant adverse effect on employment", specify "the policy led to a 15% decrease in employment rates".

Common error

Avoid using "significant adverse effect" as a generic placeholder for any negative outcome. Ensure the effect is genuinely substantial and detrimental. Using weaker phrasing for minor issues dilutes the impact when you need to describe truly serious consequences. For instance, prefer alternatives like "minor inconvenience" or "slight drawback" for less severe situations.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "significant adverse effect" functions as a noun phrase, where "significant" and "adverse" act as adjectives modifying the noun "effect". According to Ludwig AI, this is a grammatically sound construction and widely used.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

53%

News & Media

42%

Formal & Business

5%

Less common in

Wiki

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "significant adverse effect" is a grammatically correct and very common phrase used to denote a notably negative impact. According to Ludwig AI, its usage spans across various domains including science, news, and formal business contexts. Authoritative sources like The Guardian and The New York Times frequently employ this phrase. While alternatives like "substantial negative impact" or "considerable detrimental outcome" exist, it's crucial to quantify the effect with specific data when possible. Avoid overuse and ensure the effect is genuinely substantial to maintain clarity and impact in your writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

substantial negative effect

Maintains a similar structure but uses "substantial" to replace "significant", offering a slightly different emphasis.

substantial negative impact

Replaces "adverse effect" with a more general term "negative impact" and "significant" with "substantial".

serious detrimental impact

Emphasizes the severity by using "serious" instead of "significant", while retaining "detrimental impact".

considerable detrimental outcome

Substitutes "significant" with "considerable" and "adverse effect" with "detrimental outcome", emphasizing the negative result.

severe negative consequence

Replaces "significant" with "severe" to amplify the intensity of the negative outcome.

marked unfavorable consequence

Uses "marked" in place of "significant" and "unfavorable consequence" instead of "adverse effect", highlighting the noticeable and negative result.

pronounced damaging effect

Uses "pronounced" to indicate that the damaging effect is very noticeable.

notable damaging repercussion

Replaces "significant" with "notable" and "adverse effect" with "damaging repercussion", focusing on the harmful aftermath.

critical detrimental result

Highlights the importance of the negative outcome by using "critical" instead of "significant".

major harmful ramification

Substitutes "significant" with "major" and "adverse effect" with "harmful ramification", stressing the serious and far-reaching implications.

FAQs

How can I use "significant adverse effect" in a sentence?

You can use "significant adverse effect" to describe a notable negative consequence. For example: "The budget cuts had a "significant adverse effect" on the quality of education."

What are some alternatives to "significant adverse effect"?

Alternatives include "substantial negative impact", "considerable detrimental outcome", or "major harmful ramification" depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is it redundant to say "significant adverse effect"? Can't an effect be just "adverse"?

While "adverse effect" implies negativity, adding "significant" emphasizes the magnitude or importance of the effect. It clarifies that the impact is considerable and not merely a minor inconvenience.

What distinguishes a "significant adverse effect" from a "negative impact"?

While both terms denote unfavorable outcomes, "significant adverse effect" suggests a more pronounced and consequential impact compared to a general "negative impact". The choice depends on the degree of severity you wish to convey.