vastly more common

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "vastly more common" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to compare the frequency of two or more items, indicating that one is significantly more prevalent than the others. Example: "In urban areas, public transportation is vastly more common than private car ownership."

✓ Grammatically correct

General Writing

Academic

News

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

7 human-written examples

In ancient times, wood carvings must have been vastly more common than sculptures.

Encyclopedia Britannica

But to generate enough gravity, dark matter must be vastly more common than the stuff we can see.

MIT Technology Review

So pi is the most familiar and concrete example of what's known as a transcendental irrational number, and today we know that transcendental irrational numbers are actually vastly more common than rational numbers.

Harvard University

By contrast, consider how Stand Your Ground proponents regard the vastly more common kind of violence that women are likely to face: violence from intimate partners.

Huffington Post

As for "selfie," early evidence shows a variant spelling with a -y ending, "but the -ie form is vastly more common today and has become the accepted spelling of the word," Oxford Dictionaries declared definitively, adding, "It could be argued that the use of the -ie suffix helps to turn an essentially narcissistic enterprise into something rather more endearing".

Los Angeles Times

However, phyllodes tumors are vastly more common than primary breast sarcomas, occurring around 5 10 times more commonly, and 20 40 times more than primary breast fibrosarcomas [ 3].

BMC Cancer

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

53 human-written examples

Evangelical Christian Republicans have vastly more in common with Mitt Romney's political values than with Barack Obama's.

Los Angeles Times

Legal aid in England and Wales costs vastly more than other common law variants – twice as much per head as New Zealand's system for example.

The Guardian - Opinion

Less common but vastly more effective is the cognitive approach that Professor Argyris called double-loop learning.

The New York Times

The idea is not only inhumane and a gross violation of basic European principles; it also would prove vastly more costly than the alternative – a truly common EU policy that quells the chaos of the past year.

The Guardian

"Clearly, we are vastly more complicated creatures than flies, and our common experience tells us that our sexual interests are not irreversibly set by our genes," Dickson says.

Science Magazine

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "vastly more common" when you want to emphasize a significant difference in the frequency or prevalence of one thing compared to another. It adds a stronger sense of scale than simply saying "more common".

Common error

Avoid using "vastly more common" when the difference isn't actually significant. Using "more common" is sufficient for minor differences in frequency.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "vastly more common" functions as an adverbial modifier that intensifies the comparison of frequency or prevalence between two or more things. Ludwig confirms its proper usage in various contexts, emphasizing the significant difference in occurrence.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

43%

Academia

29%

Science

28%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "vastly more common" is a grammatically sound and useful expression to highlight a significant difference in frequency or prevalence. As Ludwig confirms, it's suitable for a variety of contexts, though it's most frequently found in news, academic and science-related articles. When using "vastly more common", ensure the difference you're describing is indeed substantial to avoid overstating the comparison. Alternatives like "significantly more prevalent" or "far more frequent" can provide similar emphasis.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

significantly more prevalent

Emphasizes the greater prevalence or occurrence of something, similar to "vastly more common".

far more frequent

Focuses on the higher frequency of an event or occurrence.

much more widespread

Highlights a broader distribution or reach.

considerably more typical

Suggests something is notably more representative or standard.

substantially more usual

Indicates a significant difference in how often something occurs.

markedly more prevailing

Implies a noticeable increase in dominance or influence.

noticeably more recurrent

Highlights that something happens repeatedly with greater visibility.

appreciably more pervasive

Suggests something is spreading or permeating to a greater extent.

demonstrably more customary

Implies a pattern that is evidently more in line with accepted practices.

infinitely more general

Highlights the high amount of generality of something.

FAQs

How can I use "vastly more common" in a sentence?

Use "vastly more common" to emphasize that one thing occurs much more frequently than another. For example, "In this region, sunny days are "vastly more common" than rainy ones."

What are some alternatives to "vastly more common"?

Alternatives include "significantly more prevalent", "far more frequent", or "much more widespread" depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is it correct to say "vastly common" without the "more"?

No, "vastly common" is not grammatically correct. The phrase requires the comparative "more" to indicate a difference in frequency or prevalence. "Vastly" modifies "more common", not "common" directly.

What's the difference between "more common" and "vastly more common"?

"More common" indicates that something occurs more often than something else. "Vastly more common" emphasizes that the difference in frequency is substantial or significant, implying a large disparity.