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Justyna Jupowicz-Kozak quote

Justyna Jupowicz-Kozak

CEO of Professional Science Editing for Scientists @ prosciediting.com

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uncountable

Grammar usage guide and real-world examples

USAGE SUMMARY

The word "uncountable" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to refer to an indefinite or large number of things that you cannot count. For example: "The stars in the night sky are uncountable."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Mr Blunkett has the backing of Tony Blair and John Reid, the health secretary, who is concerned by the tens of thousands of foreigners (uncounted and uncountable) who are believed to turn up in Britain to get their operations done free of charge on the National Health Service.

News & Media

The Economist

That final word has sold uncountable waves of unnecessary shampoo.Tom Dupree New YorkCourteous correspondenceSIR – Regarding your essay on politeness and the informal change to the various ways people address each other ("Hi there", December 19th), I am reminded that Dr Johnson never used his higher degrees but simply signed himself Sam Johnson, Esq.

News & Media

The Economist

And the most significant instruments are the uncountable wealth-management products (WMPs), which raise money from better-off investors, in large increments (at least 50,000 yuan, about $8,160) and for short periods (typically less than six months, sometimes much less).Like banks, shadow banks are middlemen, issuing liabilities and holding assets.

News & Media

The Economist

Indeed, Craig Venter, the head of Celera Genomics and instigator of that firm's privately funded project to sequence the human genome, reckons that proteins undergo so much change over the course of their lives that the number of different ones is essentially uncountable.

News & Media

The Economist

As the uncountable billions of years tick away, the argument runs, even the most vivacious will come to realise that they have done everything there is to do, hundreds of times.

News & Media

The Economist

Modern scientists have discovered thousands of them, implying that there are uncountable billions of other worlds scattered across our own galaxy alone.Sagan was right.

News & Media

The Economist

There are also uncountable ordinals.

Science

SEP

Note that this makes V uncountable.

Science

SEP

Since an uncountable infinity is much larger than a countable one, it follows that Turing machines (and hence digital computers) can compute only a tiny portion of all functions (over denumerable domains, such as natural numbers or strings of letters).

Science

SEP

These include almost all questions about the structure of uncountable sets.

Science

SEP

If $\kappa$ is regular and uncountable, then the set of all ordinals less than $\kappa$ of cofinality $\omega$ is an example of a stationary set.

Science

SEP
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Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "uncountable" in scientific or mathematical contexts, ensure you are referring to sets that cannot be put into one-to-one correspondence with natural numbers. In general contexts it means something is difficult or impossible to count.

Common error

Avoid using "uncountable" to describe items that are simply very numerous but technically finite. For example, saying "uncountable grains of rice in the bag" is technically inaccurate; while there are many, they are still countable.

Antonio Rotolo, PhD - Digital Humanist | Computational Linguist | CEO @Ludwig.guru

Antonio Rotolo, PhD

Digital Humanist | Computational Linguist | CEO @Ludwig.guru

Source & Trust

84%

Authority and reliability

4.5/5

Expert rating

Real-world application tested

Linguistic Context

The word "uncountable" primarily functions as an adjective. It modifies nouns to indicate a quantity that is too large or infinite to be counted. Ludwig AI's analysis supports this, showing its use in describing both physical quantities and abstract concepts.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

41%

News & Media

32%

Encyclopedias

12%

Less common in

Formal & Business

3%

Unknown

10%

Wiki

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the term "uncountable" serves as an adjective indicating a quantity so large or infinite that it defies the possibility of being counted. Ludwig AI confirms its widespread use across diverse contexts, from formal scientific discussions to general news reports. It's important to remember that "uncountable" is best applied to truly limitless quantities or those where counting is impractical, rather than simply large but finite amounts. Alternatives like "innumerable", "countless", and "infinite" offer nuanced ways to express similar ideas. "Uncountable" maintains a neutral to formal register, rendering it suitable for a wide spectrum of writing scenarios.

FAQs

How is "uncountable" used in mathematics?

In mathematics, "uncountable" refers to a set that is infinite and cannot be put into a one-to-one correspondence with the set of natural numbers. The set of real numbers is a classic example of an "uncountable" set.

What's the difference between "uncountable" and "immeasurable"?

"Uncountable" generally means something is too numerous to count, while "immeasurable" refers to something that cannot be precisely measured, often because it is abstract or intangible. You might say there are "countless" stars, representing a high quantity. But you use the term "immeasurable", or not possible to measure, love.

Can "uncountable" be used for both physical objects and abstract concepts?

Yes, "uncountable" can describe both. For physical objects, it suggests a vast quantity, like "uncountable grains of sand". For abstract concepts, it emphasizes that they are beyond precise quantification, like "uncountable possibilities".

What are some alternatives to the word "uncountable"?

Depending on the context, you can use alternatives like "innumerable", "countless", "infinite", or "unquantifiable" to convey a similar meaning.

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Source & Trust

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Authority and reliability

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Real-world application tested

Most frequent sentences: