substantially above average

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "substantially above average" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe something that is significantly better than the average level or standard in a particular context. Example: "The student's performance on the exam was substantially above average, indicating a strong understanding of the material."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

The rate of reduction is greatest for the richest wealth quintile (6.2 percent per annum), and is also substantially above average for the Eastern development region (4.4 percent per annum) and the Mid-Western development region (4.2percentt per annum).

BMC Public Health

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

"Well above average.

The New Yorker

That constitutes a 130-point gap, although Duke's black students' scores were well above the national average for all students taking the SAT (about 1030), and substantially above the national average for black students taking the SAT (about 860).

Huffington Post

Above average.

Independent

gets treated as above average.

The New Yorker

It's above average".

The New Yorker

Above average is average - go figure.

The Guardian

Above average in many cases.

The Guardian

My readers are all above average.

The New York Times

He's above average in that".

The New Yorker

Was it an above average strike?

The Guardian - Sport

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "substantially above average", ensure the context provides a clear point of reference for what constitutes the average. This adds clarity and impact to your statement.

Common error

Avoid using "substantially above average" when the difference is marginal or insignificant. Overusing this phrase can diminish its impact and credibility.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "substantially above average" functions as an adjectival phrase, modifying a noun to indicate that it exceeds the average to a significant degree. As Ludwig AI suggests, it is grammatically correct.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

35%

Science

33%

Formal & Business

12%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

8%

Wiki

6%

Reference

6%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "substantially above average" is a grammatically sound and commonly used way to express that something significantly exceeds the norm. Ludwig AI confirms its correctness. While suitable for various contexts, it is most frequently found in news, scientific writing, and business communications. When using this phrase, ensure there's a clear reference point for the average to maintain clarity. Alternatives like "significantly exceeding the average" or "well above the mean" can be used for variety.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

significantly exceeding the average

Emphasizes the act of exceeding the average by a significant amount.

well above the mean

Replaces "average" with "mean", a statistical synonym, and uses "well" for emphasis.

considerably higher than average

Uses "considerably" instead of "substantially" to convey a similar degree of difference.

noticeably surpassing the norm

Highlights that the difference is easily noticed and uses "norm" as a synonym for average.

markedly exceeding expectations

Shifts the focus to exceeding expectations rather than just the average.

distinctly superior to the average

Indicates a clear and noticeable superiority over the average.

appreciably greater than average

Emphasizes that the difference is large enough to be easily perceived or measured.

materially exceeding typical levels

Highlights the tangible or significant nature of the difference and replaces "average" with "typical levels".

substantially outperforming the average

Focuses on performance as the metric and highlights a significant outperformance.

significantly better than the average

Simplifies the phrasing while maintaining the core meaning of being much better than average.

FAQs

How can I effectively use "substantially above average" in a sentence?

Use "substantially above average" to highlight a significant difference compared to the norm. For example, "The company's profits were substantially above average this quarter."

What are some alternatives to "substantially above average"?

You can use alternatives like "significantly exceeding the average", "well above the mean", or "considerably higher than average" depending on the context.

Is it redundant to say "very substantially above average"?

While not grammatically incorrect, "very substantially above average" can be redundant. "Substantially above average" already implies a significant difference, so adding "very" may not add much value. Instead you can choose another term that better reflects the magnitude.

What's the difference between "above average" and "substantially above average"?

"Above average" indicates a position higher than the typical or normal level. "Substantially above average" implies the position is not just higher, but significantly or considerably so, signifying a greater degree of difference.