significant flaws

USAGE SUMMARY

"significant flaws" is correct and usable in written English. You can use it when discussing major issues or defects in a work, product, or argument. For example, "The report was rejected due to significant flaws in its methodology." Alternative expressions include "major defects" and "serious shortcomings."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

59 human-written examples

Huckabee has some significant flaws as a candidate.

The New York Times

Burns said the inspector general's report had "significant flaws".

The Guardian

However, Mr. Brucker said, there are significant flaws in such reasoning.

The New York Times

In signing, however, we are not abandoning our concerns about significant flaws in the treaty.

The New York Times

His said in his reply that the court's treaty still had "significant flaws".

The New York Times

The discovery of significant flaws in the DfT's franchising process is a cause of great concern.

The Guardian

Of that small group of people a large subset has significant flaws in their private lives.

The New York Times

The bombing attempt exposed significant flaws in how the administration collected and shared intelligence reports.

The New York Times

The Dft said it found evidence of significant flaws as its officials were gathering evidence in preparation for legal proceedings.

The Guardian

"There were significant flaws that came out of financial services," said Jamie Dimon, JPMorgan Chase's chairman and chief executive.

The New York Times

But given the hiring and investigation, unless significant flaws emerge, Wynn appears to have the advantage in its legal case.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Reserve this phrase for issues that actually impact the overall validity of the subject rather than small, inconsequential typos.

Common error

Writers often add extra adjectives like "major" or "very" to "significant flaws". Since "significant" already implies a high degree of importance and scale, adding further qualifiers can sound repetitive. Stick to the phrase itself for a cleaner, more impactful delivery.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "significant flaws" functions as a noun phrase where the adjective "significant" serves as a quantitative modifier for the plural noun "flaws". In the context provided by Ludwig, it is used to quantify the gravity of errors found in a system, argument or object.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

45%

Science

35%

Formal & Business

20%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

5%

Wiki

3%

Social Media

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "significant flaws" is a powerful tool in professional and academic writing for identifying major defects. Ludwig AI examples demonstrate its versatility across diverse fields—from critiquing political candidates in The New York Times to evaluating medical studies in Science Magazine. It consistently denotes errors that are more than just cosmetic, suggesting a fundamental failure that requires correction. When using this phrase, ensure the context supports such a strong designation of failure, as it carries substantial weight in critical discourse.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

major shortcomings

Uses a more general noun to describe failings in a plan or performance

substantial defects

Focuses on tangible or structural faults in products or logic

serious deficiencies

Emphasizes a lack of necessary qualities or resources

critical weaknesses

Highlights vulnerabilities that could lead to total failure

fundamental errors

Targets the basic principles or logic of an argument

notable imperfections

Slightly less severe, suggesting things that are visible but not necessarily fatal

profound issues

Suggests deep-seated problems that require extensive attention

glaring mistakes

Emphasizes that the errors are obvious or easily seen

severe drawbacks

Refers to negative aspects of a choice or situation

weighty inconsistencies

Specifically refers to contradictions in data or testimony

FAQs

What can I say instead of "significant flaws"?

You can use alternatives like "<a href="/s/major+shortcomings" target="_blank" rel="alternative">major shortcomings", "<a href="/s/substantial+defects" target="_blank" rel="alternative">substantial defects" or "<a href="/s/serious+deficiencies" target="_blank" rel="alternative">serious deficiencies" depending on the context.

How to use "significant flaws" in a sentence?

A common way to use it is: "The committee rejected the proposal after identifying significant flaws in the financial projections."

Is "significant flaws" formal or informal?

It is a formal phrase. While it can be used in casual conversation to describe something like a movie, it is most at home in academic papers, news reports and professional reviews.

What is the difference between "significant flaws" and "minor errors"?

While "significant flaws" refers to major problems that often invalidate a result, "<a href="/s/minor+errors" target="_blank" rel="alternative">minor errors" describes small mistakes that do not change the overall outcome or conclusion.