substantially finished

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "substantially finished" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to indicate that a project or task is nearly complete, but not entirely finished. Example: "The construction of the new building is substantially finished, and we expect to open it to the public next month."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Wiki

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

4 human-written examples

The whole complex was begun in 1925 and was substantially finished by the early thirties.

The New Yorker

I don't want to force it." Mantel said she hoped to have the final part of the trilogy "substantially finished within 18 months", but added: "There's nothing about the process that's predictable".

The Guardian - Books

The manuscript was substantially finished in March.

Huffington Post

The version shown at E3 was substantially finished; most content was already in the game, lacking only the polish that the final months of development would bring.

Wikipedia

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

54 human-written examples

Celera argues that in a finished genome the coding regions should be substantially complete and the order of all the fragments on the chromosomes should be known.

The New York Times

The storyboard for the episode is substantially different from the finished episode.

Wikipedia

"Despite all those difficulties and setbacks, we've moved forward substantially and should finish the project by March".

The Guardian

Rees Jones, whose course alterations in 2006 substantially toughened the finishing holes, told a reporter that he liked the moniker "Southern Discomfort" for the four holes.

The New York Times - Sports

He finished in 62 35, substantially slower than Salazar's estimate.

The New Yorker

European shares finished the day substantially lower with the FTSE 100 in London down 2.4percentt and the DAX in Frankfurt off 4percentt.

The New York Times

"The operation is substantially complete.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "substantially finished" to convey that something is close to completion but might still require minor adjustments or finishing touches.

Common error

Avoid using "substantially finished" when the project is actually fully complete; instead, opt for phrases like "completely finished" or "fully completed" to accurately reflect the state of completion.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "substantially finished" functions as an adjective phrase modifying a noun, indicating the degree of completion. As Ludwig AI confirms, this expression accurately portrays the state of near completion, yet acknowledges that some tasks remain.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Wiki

25%

Science

25%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Academia

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "substantially finished" is a grammatically correct phrase used to describe something that is nearly complete but not entirely so. Ludwig AI analysis shows that it appears most frequently in news and media contexts. While its frequency is relatively rare, the phrase is a useful and precise way to indicate that a project or task is in its final stages, even though minor adjustments might still be necessary. Therefore, it accurately conveys an idea of near completion.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

substantially complete

Legal or technical context to say something is at the point of being safe and ready to use

largely completed

Emphasizes that the majority of the work is done.

almost complete

Highlights the nearness to being fully complete.

nearly finished

Indicates a state of being very close to the end.

practically complete

Suggests that any remaining tasks are minor.

virtually complete

Similar to 'practically complete', implying minimal work remains.

mostly done

Informal way of saying a significant portion is finished.

essentially completed

Focuses on the core aspects being finished.

well advanced

Indicates significant progress, implying completion is within reach.

nearing completion

Expresses that the process is approaching its final stages.

FAQs

What does "substantially finished" mean?

The phrase "substantially finished" means that something is largely or mostly completed, but not entirely. There may still be minor tasks or details to finalize.

What can I say instead of "substantially finished"?

You can use alternatives like "largely completed", "almost complete", or "nearly finished" depending on the context.

Is "substantially finished" the same as "completely finished"?

No, "substantially finished" implies that the project is close to completion but not yet 100% done. "Completely finished" means that all tasks are finalized and there are no remaining steps.

How to use "substantially finished" in a sentence?

You can use "substantially finished" in a sentence like: "The construction of the new library is "substantially finished", and we expect to open it to the public next month."