was not sought

USAGE SUMMARY

"was not sought" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to describe something that was not looked for or wanted. For example, "The accident victim was not sought out by the medics; they simply found him lying on the side of the road."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

59 human-written examples

(Ultimately, capital punishment was not sought).

The New York Times

The consent of the foundation was not required and was not sought.

The New York Times

"My advice was not sought" about UN negotiating tactics, he writes.

The Guardian

"I made no decision, my approval was not sought, I was given no information, I sought no information.

Independent

As such, ethics clearance was not sought nor required.

Life Sciences, Society and Policy

The content of this communication was not sought.

BBC

In these 459 cases vasoconstriction was not sought or if sought, was not identified.

The Journal of Headache and Pain

On the other hand, patient's opinion was not sought in 30.5% of cases.

Annals of Intensive Care

Ethical approval was not sought as study considered a service evaluation.

Intensive Care Medicine Experimental

Ethics approval was not sought for this article as it is a retrospective case report.

Gynecological Surgery

Therefore, informed consent was not sought for in accordance to the French clinical research guidelines.

Annals of Intensive Care

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When writing in legal or scientific contexts, consider using "was not sought" to describe the lack of a request for approval, consent, or some other form of authorization.

Common error

Avoid using "was not sought" when you mean something was actively avoided. This phrase implies a lack of seeking, not active avoidance. For active avoidance, use phrases like "was actively avoided" or "was deliberately ignored".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "was not sought" functions as a passive construction, indicating that an action (seeking) was not performed. As Ludwig AI states, this phrase is grammatically correct and usable in written English. The examples in Ludwig show its usage across various domains, signifying a lack of active pursuit or request.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

62%

News & Media

28%

Wiki

4%

Less common in

Formal & Business

2%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "was not sought" is a grammatically sound and frequently used phrase, as verified by Ludwig AI, that indicates a lack of active pursuit or request. Its passive construction makes it suitable for formal and scientific contexts. While it's important to use it to imply a lack of seeking rather than active avoidance. Common alternative phrases include "was not requested" or "was not pursued". Predominantly found in scientific and news media sources, understanding its subtle nuances can significantly improve clarity in writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

was not requested

Replaces "sought" with "requested", focusing on the lack of a formal request.

was not pursued

Emphasizes the absence of active effort to obtain something.

was not asked for

A more informal way of saying "was not requested".

was not solicited

Indicates that something was not asked for or encouraged.

was not aimed for

Implies that a particular goal or outcome was not the intention.

was not desired

Highlights that something was not wanted or wished for.

was not investigated

Focuses on the lack of inquiry or examination.

was not explored

Suggests that something was not examined or considered in detail.

was not prioritized

Indicates that something was considered less important than other things.

was not given consideration

Emphasizes the lack of attention or thought given to something.

FAQs

How can I use "was not sought" in a sentence?

You can use "was not sought" to indicate that something wasn't actively looked for or requested, such as "Their opinion "was not sought" during the decision-making process".

What's a formal alternative to "was not sought"?

A more formal alternative could be "was not requested" or "was not solicited", particularly in legal or official contexts.

Is it correct to say "was not sought after"?

While "sought after" means desirable, "was not sought after" is grammatically correct but less common. It implies something wasn't desired or pursued by others. Usually "was not desired" or "was not in demand" is preferable.

What's the difference between "was not sought" and "was not found"?

"Was not sought" means something was not actively looked for, while "was not found" means something was looked for but couldn't be located. The focus is on the action of seeking vs. the result of finding.