substantially like

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "substantially like" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to indicate that something is very similar to something else, often in a legal or formal context. Example: "The new policy is substantially like the previous one, with only minor adjustments made."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

More substantially, like Joyce, Fountain lays his hand over a day and place (Texas Stadium, Thanksgiving, 2004) and takes an entire country's temperature.

The New York Times - Books

We might therefore try to tighten the definition by saying that a miracle is an event that exceeds the productive power of nature (St. Thomas Aquinas, SCG 3.103; ST 1.110, art. 4), where "nature" is construed broadly enough to include ourselves and any other creatures substantially like ourselves.

SEP

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

In particular a single network can represent several trees simultaneously, indicate whether or not the data is substantially tree-like, and give evidence for possible reticulation or hybridization events.

Algorithms for Molecular Biology

We have demonstrated its efficacy for systems exactly meeting its tree-like assumptions, for systems that only slightly deviate from tree-like assumptions, and for systems that deviate substantially from tree-like assumptions.

BMC Systems Biology

Studies show that the uninsured are substantially more likely to require hospitalization for festering medical problems like diabetes.

The New York Times

Within S. invicta, over 43% of codons and 35% of amino acid residues are variable across all recovered alleles (Table 1), values that drop minimally for the B-like alleles but substantially for the b-like alleles.

Plosone

With its vast scale, Amazon has driven down costs substantially for the likes of Dropbox, which leases server space from the e-commerce giant.

The Economist

Thus, a highly structured rhyming and melodic input substantially facilitates gender-like category induction, making a case for the use of children's songs in language teaching.

Cognitive Research: Principles and Implications

In simple terms, high precision values mean that substantially more term-like phrases are selected than the number of erroneous phrases, while high recall values mean that the most term-like phrases are selected from the text.

Journal of Cheminformatics

Burton was adamant that the apes should be substantially "more animal-like; flying through trees, climb walls, swing out of windows, and go ape shit when angry".

Wikipedia

It is therefore remarkable that this antibody prevents polymerization in the cellular context at all; this is highly suggestive of a mechanism whereby the antibody exploits a folding/polymerization pathway in which polymerization ensues from a substantially folded, native-like form.

FASEB Journal

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Consider if a synonym like "largely similar" or "considerably akin" better suits the tone and context of your writing.

Common error

Avoid using "substantially like" when describing things that are only superficially similar; use it only when the similarities are significant and meaningful.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "substantially like" functions as an adverbial modifier followed by a preposition, indicating a significant degree of similarity or resemblance. It modifies an adjective or noun, specifying the extent to which something resembles something else. Ludwig's examples show its usage in formal contexts.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

50%

News & Media

50%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "substantially like" functions as an adverbial modifier indicating a notable degree of similarity, primarily in formal contexts such as science and news media. Ludwig AI deems it grammatically correct. While relatively rare, understanding its proper usage—to denote significant but not exact resemblance—is key. For alternative phrasings, consider "largely similar" or "markedly akin" depending on the specific nuance you aim to convey.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

largely resemble

Focuses on visual or superficial similarities.

closely approximate

Emphasizes a close but not exact match.

bear a strong resemblance to

Highlights a noticeable similarity in appearance or characteristics.

are significantly akin to

Suggests a noteworthy similarity in nature or essence.

markedly resemble

Underscores a conspicuous similarity.

strongly mirror

Implies a reflection or close duplication.

are virtually identical to

Indicates a near-perfect match with minor differences.

generally parallel

Points out similar aspects between two otherwise different items.

almost duplicate

Highlights an attempt to replicate something almost exactly.

essentially copy

Emphasizes that only negligible details differ.

FAQs

How can I use "substantially like" in a sentence?

Use "substantially like" to express that two things share significant similarities. For example, "The proposed legislation is substantially like the previous bill, with only a few minor revisions."

What's a good alternative to "substantially like"?

Depending on the context, alternatives to "substantially like" include "largely similar", "closely resemble", or "markedly akin".

Is it better to say "substantially like" or "exactly like"?

"Substantially like" indicates a high degree of similarity but not perfect identity, while "exactly like" implies complete equivalence. Choose the phrase that accurately reflects the relationship between the two things being compared.

When is it appropriate to use "substantially like" in formal writing?

"Substantially like" is appropriate in formal writing when you want to convey that two things share significant characteristics or features without being identical. It's suitable for academic, legal, and business contexts.