to merely consider

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "to merely consider" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when you want to emphasize that the action of considering something is done without any additional implications or actions. Example: "In this discussion, we are not looking for solutions, but rather to merely consider the implications of our choices."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

In their opinion, it would be deficient to merely consider the global psychopathological state at follow-up.

Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health

Since evidence is growing about comparable outcome in both modalities [ 10- 12, 33], also consensus is growing to merely consider both treatment options as complementary.

Critical Care

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

However, to truly demonstrate susceptibility to enriched, highly positive environments, it is recommended to not merely consider the presence versus absence of adversity but also focus on intrinsically positive life experiences or favorable environments [37], [41].

Plosone

Do Liverpool have to sell Luis Suárez because they have received an offer in excess of £40m or is that figure simply a trigger to begin, or merely consider, negotiating?

The Guardian - Sport

This seems to indicate that GPs do not merely consider cost-quality trade-offs relevant to clinical decision-making but actually engage in such trade-offs without informing patients that this is what they are doing.

BMC Health Services Research

According to the American psychologist Howard Rachlin, however, knowing is not enough: people also need to commit themselves to adaptive patterns of action, rather than merely consider particular situations and actions as they arise.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Our findings illustrate that it is insufficient to isolate functions (i.e., merely consider information transfer, patient participation, decision-making processes) as independent activities (i.e., treat them as "functional silos") owing to the functional dependencies on which hospital discharge performance relies.

BMC Health Services Research

There is also thought to be a limitation in studies that merely consider the total number of hours worked per week.

The Guardian - Money

Unlike existing methods that to verify questioned signatures of an individual merely consider the training samples of that class, DMML uses the knowledge from the similarities and dissimilarities between the genuine and forged samples of other classes too.

Pattern Recognition Letters

But in the Senate bill, the Federal Trade Commission must merely consider setting up a registry, and the F.T.C. has suggested it does not want to.

The New York Times

2, we need merely consider the situation (lambdainmathrm{i}mathbb{R}).

Boundary Value Problems

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "to merely consider" when you want to explicitly limit the scope of an action to just thinking about something, without implying any further action or decision-making.

Common error

Avoid using "to merely consider" when you actually intend to convey a deeper level of analysis or decision-making. This phrase suggests a superficial level of engagement, and using it inappropriately can undermine the seriousness of your message.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "to merely consider" functions as an infinitive phrase expressing the purpose or intention of an action. It emphasizes the limited scope of the consideration, indicating a preliminary or superficial level of engagement, as seen in the Ludwig examples.

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 "to merely consider" is a grammatically correct construction used to specify a limited form of engagement with an idea or proposal. Ludwig AI confirms its acceptability, while indicating its relative infrequency. The phrase appears more commonly in Science and News & Media contexts. When using "to merely consider", ensure it accurately reflects the intended scope of the action, avoiding its use when a deeper level of analysis or decision-making is implied. Consider alternatives such as "to simply consider" or "to just think about" for clearer or more informal communication.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

to simply consider

Replaces "merely" with "simply", emphasizing the uncomplicated nature of the consideration.

to just consider

Uses "just" instead of "merely", conveying a sense of basic consideration without further action.

to only consider

Substitutes "merely" with "only", highlighting the limitation of the action to consideration alone.

to simply contemplate

Replaces "consider" with "contemplate", suggesting a more thoughtful but still basic level of engagement.

to just think about

Uses a more informal phrasing with "think about", suitable for less formal contexts.

to briefly consider

Adds "briefly" to indicate a short or quick consideration.

to initially consider

Emphasizes that the consideration is at the beginning of a process.

to give a thought to

An idiomatic expression indicating a casual consideration.

to entertain the idea of

Suggests a more open-minded or exploratory consideration.

to take into account

Implies that consideration is for future actions and planning

FAQs

What does "to merely consider" mean?

The phrase "to merely consider" means to only think about something, without necessarily making a decision or taking action. It implies a basic level of contemplation.

How can I use "to merely consider" in a sentence?

You can use "to merely consider" to suggest that an action is limited to thinking about something. For example, "The committee decided "to merely consider" the proposal, without committing to any changes."

What are some alternatives to "to merely consider"?

Alternatives include "to simply consider", "to just think about", or "to briefly consider" depending on the context.

When is it appropriate to use "to merely consider" instead of "to consider"?

Use "to merely consider" when you want to emphasize that the action is specifically limited to thinking, and excludes any implication of further action or analysis. "To consider" alone can imply a deeper level of engagement.