tenuous claim

USAGE SUMMARY

"tenuous claim" is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
You can use it to refer to a claim that is weak or does not have a lot of evidence to support it. Example: The defense team's tenuous claim that the defendant had an alibi was easily refuted by the prosecutors.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

21 human-written examples

That's a tenuous claim and a tricky one.

The New York Times - Books

He says: "A democracy that ignores most of the public has a tenuous claim to legitimacy".

The Guardian - Opinion

Ibaraki is billed as Tokyo's third airport, after Narita and Haneda, but that is a rather tenuous claim.

The Economist

Though Duda seems to have at least a tenuous claim on left field, he does not see it that way.

The New York Times - Sports

Because of his tenuous claim to the throne, Minh Mang felt the threat of pretenders who were soliciting help from the French for his overthrow.

Encyclopedia Britannica

"From this tenuous claim you can actually hold up a project for 10 months and cost the Royal Court $40,000 in legal fees, which it doesn't have".

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

39 human-written examples

Individual liberties have been sacrificed on far more tenuous claims.

The New York Times

But there are equally tenuous claims for a link between McCartney and Everton.

The Guardian - Sport

But these are tenuous claims when it comes to one of the festival's early dance offerings, "Le Grand Continental," by the Montreal choreographer Sylvain Émard.

The New York Times - Arts

The Local Government Association, which represents councils across England and Wales, said 68percentt of its member councils had experienced increases in tenuous claims since 2000.

The New York Times

By now you're possibly getting  furious at this column and saying, "WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE?", but their tenuous claims, their egos and utter lack of self-awareness will keep you coming back for more.

Independent

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "tenuous claim" to express skepticism or doubt about the validity or strength of an argument or assertion. This implies the claim has weak support.

Common error

Avoid using "tenuous claim" when you mean a claim is innovative or groundbreaking. "Tenuous" implies weakness, not originality.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "tenuous claim" functions as an adjective-noun construction, where "tenuous" modifies the noun "claim". It serves to characterize the nature of the claim, indicating it is weak, poorly supported, or questionable, as supported by Ludwig's analysis.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

58%

Science

17%

Encyclopedias

8%

Less common in

Wiki

4%

Formal & Business

4%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "tenuous claim" is a phrase used to describe an assertion or argument that is weak, poorly supported, or questionable. As Ludwig AI confirms, the phrase is grammatically correct and commonly used, particularly in news, academic, and encyclopedic contexts. When writing, it's crucial to use "tenuous claim" to accurately convey doubt or skepticism about the strength of an argument and to avoid misinterpreting it as a compliment or descriptor of originality. Alternatives such as "flimsy claim" or "weak claim" can be used to express similar ideas. The prevalence of this phrase in authoritative sources underscores its importance in conveying critical analysis and evaluation.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

weak claim

A direct synonym, simply stating the claim is not strong.

flimsy claim

Indicates a claim lacking substance or support, suggesting it's easily refuted.

fragile claim

Emphasizes the vulnerability of the claim to being disproven.

feeble claim

Highlights the weakness and lack of persuasiveness of the claim.

shaky claim

Implies instability and uncertainty in the validity of the claim.

uncertain claim

Focuses on the doubtful nature and lack of certainty in the claim.

thin claim

Suggests the claim is unsubstantiated and lacks depth.

scant claim

Emphasizes the limited amount of evidence supporting the claim.

modest claim

Describes a claim that is limited in scope or ambition and, by consequence, not particularly strong.

subtle claim

The focus is moved from the explicit validity to the visibility of the claim, which has been proposed with little emphasis.

FAQs

How can I use "tenuous claim" in a sentence?

You can use "tenuous claim" to describe an argument or assertion that is not well-supported by evidence. For example: "The prosecutor presented a tenuous claim that the defendant was at the scene of the crime."

What are some alternatives to "tenuous claim"?

Alternatives to "tenuous claim" include "flimsy claim", "fragile claim", or "weak claim". The best choice depends on the specific context and the nuance you wish to convey.

Is it better to say "tenuous claim" or "unsubstantiated claim"?

"Tenuous claim" emphasizes the weakness or lack of solidity in the evidence supporting a claim, while "unsubstantiated claim" focuses on the lack of proof. While similar, "unsubstantiated" suggests a complete absence of evidence, whereas "tenuous" suggests some evidence, but not enough to be convincing.

What does it mean when a claim is described as "tenuous"?

When a claim is described as "tenuous", it means that the claim is not well-supported, lacks a strong foundation, or is questionable. It suggests that the claim is easily challenged or refuted.