statistical impossibility

USAGE SUMMARY

"statistical impossibility" is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
You can use it to refer to something that is highly unlikely to happen, and such likelihood is often measured in terms of statistical probability. For example, "It was a statistical impossibility that the team would be able to win the championship, given their record that season."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Wiki

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

21 human-written examples

Make him or her funny, and that statistical impossibility becomes 10x more impossible!

Huffington Post

It seemed a statistical impossibility that anything could go wrong, plastic surgeons on the hospital's staff said, that lightning could strike twice in the same spot.

The New York Times - Style

It's a statistical impossibility that there aren't at least a few gay men playing in one of the four major American sports leagues right now.

The New York Times

People are time-deprived, careers have priority over relationships, not least because they are often a prerequisite to them, and the idea of a unique perfect match or soul-mate is a statistical impossibility.

The Guardian

Suspicions were raised in December 2008 by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, which noted that improvements on state tests at Atherton and a handful of other Georgia schools were so spectacular that they approached a statistical impossibility.

The New York Times

(According to the authors' own survey, 63 percent of Americans consider themselves more intelligent than the average American, a statistical impossibility. In a different survey, 70 percent of Canadians said they considered themselves smarter than the average Canadian).

The New York Times - Books

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

37 human-written examples

Relatively weak statistical power and impossibility of blindness of the treatment.

BMJ Open

Samples whose endozepine level was below the minimum detection threshold of the assay were excluded from the statistical analysis because of the impossibility of assessing the primary endpoint.

Critical Care

Considering that the experiments with mathematical models of systems (but not with real systems) create difficulties in all stages of statistical evaluating the results of experiments (the impossibility to estimate reproducibility dispersions without the results of so-called parallel experiments), questions of their overcoming are discussed.

International Journal of Electrical Power & Energy Systems

Despite this advantage, in only 10 of 30 comparisons we have obtained a statistical significance level higher than 95%%, resulting in an impossibility to refute the null hypothesis.

Journal of the Brazilian Computer Society

Also, the simple fact of lack of detailed comorbidity reporting in the registry and hence impossibility to adjust for them in the statistical model may be responsible for higher prevalence for systemic complications in group III, since it could have been reasonable for patients under certain clinical conditions to undergo delayed two-stage procedures.

BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "statistical impossibility", ensure the context clearly establishes a statistical basis for the improbability. Provide relevant data or reference statistical principles to strengthen your claim.

Common error

Avoid using "statistical impossibility" to describe events that are merely surprising or unexpected. It should be reserved for scenarios where statistical analysis demonstrates an exceptionally low probability, close to zero.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "statistical impossibility" functions as a noun phrase, acting as the subject or object within a sentence. It describes a situation or event that is highly unlikely according to statistical principles. Ludwig AI confirms its correct usage in various contexts.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

75%

Wiki

8%

Science

17%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "statistical impossibility" is a commonly used phrase to describe events with an extremely low probability of occurring. Ludwig AI confirms that the phrase is grammatically correct and usable in written English. It finds its prevalence in news and media, and to some extent in scientific sources. When using this phrase, be sure to reference the statistical foundation that makes the situation so unlikely. It's important not to overuse this phrase for scenarios where outcomes are simply surprising, rather than almost mathematically impossible.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

statistically improbable event

Replaces "impossibility" with "improbable event", emphasizing the low probability rather than absolute impossibility. It's a more precise way of framing the scenario.

infinitesimally small chance

Emphasizes the extremely low probability using more descriptive language.

negligible probability

Uses a more technical term, "probability", and describes it as "negligible", indicating it's so small it's practically zero.

highly unlikely scenario

Uses simpler language to convey a similar meaning, focusing on the unlikelihood of the situation.

virtually impossible situation

Substitutes "statistical" with "virtually", indicating a near impossibility without relying on statistical terms.

defies statistical expectations

Focuses on the deviation from what statistics would predict.

against all odds

An idiomatic expression emphasizing that an event happened despite very low chances of success.

outside the realm of possibility

Shifts the focus from statistical likelihood to the general concept of possibility.

a mathematical anomaly

Highlights that a result doesn't correspond with expectations.

almost certainly not going to happen

This is an informal expression to indicate that there is a very low probability of happening.

FAQs

How can I use "statistical impossibility" in a sentence?

You can use "statistical impossibility" to describe events with an extremely low probability. For example, "The odds of winning the lottery are a "statistical impossibility"".

What's a simpler way to say "statistical impossibility"?

Alternatives include "highly unlikely", "virtually impossible", or "extremely improbable". The best choice depends on the specific context and desired level of formality.

Is there a difference between "improbable" and "statistical impossibility"?

"Improbable" indicates something is unlikely, while "statistical impossibility" suggests a probability so low that it is practically nonexistent. The latter implies a stronger, statistically-backed claim.

When is it appropriate to use the term "statistical impossibility"?

Use "statistical impossibility" when referring to events that, based on statistical analysis, have an extremely low chance of occurring. It's suitable for scenarios where the probability is near zero.