substantial chance

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "substantial chance" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to indicate a significant likelihood or probability of something occurring. Example: "There is a substantial chance that the event will be postponed due to the weather conditions."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

27 human-written examples

I have a substantial chance of winning.

The Guardian

I have a very substantial chance of winning.

The Guardian

"I have a substantial chance of winning – make America great again," he said.

The Guardian

There's still, I fear, a substantial chance that unemployment will remain high for a very long time.

The Guardian - Opinion

When hiring rates are very depressed, workers who lose their jobs are unlikely to find work quickly, and thus face a substantial chance of becoming long-term unemployed.

The Economist

Everyone knows it, but not many politicians or mainstream journalists are willing to talk about it, for fear of sounding conspiracy-minded: there is a substantial chance that the result of the 2004 presidential election will be suspect.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

32 human-written examples

The inter-rater agreement for R-AMSTAR scores remained "substantial" when chance agreement was eliminated (kappa: 0.78, 95% confidence interval: 0.71-0.85) [ 37].

BMC Medical Research Methodology

We considered different pooling strategies (Table  1) and recommend random effects meta-analysis in case of substantial variability – beyond chance – of the concordance probability across clusters [ 20, 21].

BMC Medical Research Methodology

The long-term benefits sound substantial: an improved chance of getting a corner office and a six-figure salary.

The Economist

Given the number of MSP window-triggering marker instances in the original GWLS (SCZ = 133, BP = 56, full results not shown) included in our analyses and the full genomic coverage employed by GSMA, a substantial amount of chance overlap between methods may have been expected.

Plosone

The Kappa values for all patients (K = 0.675) indicated substantial agreement beyond chance.

BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

To add impact to your writing and depending on context, consider using "substantial chance" over weaker alternatives like 'some chance' to underscore the significance of the possibility.

Common error

Avoid using "substantial chance" when the outcome is highly certain or already known. Saying "There is a "substantial chance" the sun will rise tomorrow" is inaccurate because sunrise is virtually guaranteed.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "substantial chance" functions as a noun phrase indicating a significant probability or likelihood. It is used to express that something has a notable possibility of occurring, without guaranteeing its certainty. Ludwig confirms its grammatical correctness.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

53%

Science

43%

Formal & Business

4%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "substantial chance" is a commonly used expression to indicate a significant probability or likelihood of an event occurring. Ludwig confirms that it is grammatically correct and suitable for various contexts, including news, science, and formal writing. Related phrases include "significant probability" and "considerable likelihood", which can add variety to your writing. When using "substantial chance", avoid overstating certainty and ensure the context aligns with a notable, but not guaranteed, possibility. Remember to utilize Ludwig to explore further examples and contextual applications of the phrase.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

significant probability

Replaces "chance" with the more formal "probability" and "substantial" with "significant", emphasizing the importance of the likelihood.

considerable likelihood

Uses "likelihood" instead of "chance" and "considerable" for "substantial", conveying a notable degree of possibility.

high possibility

Emphasizes a greater degree of chance using "high" in place of "substantial".

distinct prospect

Replaces "chance" with "prospect" and "substantial" with "distinct", suggesting a clear and noticeable possibility.

notable likelihood

Suggests that the possibility is worth paying attention to, using "notable" as a substitute for "substantial".

real possibility

Emphasizes the genuineness and feasibility of the chance.

prominent potential

Highlights the prominence or importance of the potential, shifting the focus slightly from chance to potential outcome.

good possibility

Offers a less formal alternative, indicating a positive likelihood.

fair prospect

Suggests a reasonable, though not necessarily excellent, chance.

reasonable chance

Implies that the chance is logical and grounded in reason.

FAQs

How can I use "substantial chance" in a sentence?

You can use "substantial chance" to indicate a significant likelihood or probability of something occurring. For example, "There is a "substantial chance" that the project will be completed on time."

What are some alternatives to "substantial chance"?

You can use alternatives like "significant probability", "considerable likelihood", or "high possibility" depending on the context.

Is it appropriate to use "substantial chance" in formal writing?

Yes, "substantial chance" is appropriate for formal writing. It conveys a significant degree of probability in a clear and professional manner. More formal alternatives include "significant probability" or "considerable likelihood".

What is the difference between "substantial chance" and "slim chance"?

"Substantial chance" indicates a significant probability, while "slim chance" indicates a very low probability. They are opposites in terms of the likelihood they convey. A slim chance may be replaced by "remote chance".