weak role

USAGE SUMMARY

The term "weak role" is correct and usable in written English.
It is typically used to describe a role or position that has limited power or influence. For example: The newly elected senator was in a weak role, unable to introduce any meaningful legislation.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

19 human-written examples

"Some participants in the development of Lincoln Center attribute the problems to the weak role of Harrison, who refused to act as a strong leader, as he had done in other projects," Professor Ballon said.

The New York Times - Arts

"Before, because of these wrong results of CO2 lagging temperature, people were interpreting it as a weak role for CO2 in the climate variation of the past," Dr. Parrenin said.

The New York Times - Science

Therefore, lattice distortion caused by scale inhibitor may play a weak role for calcium carbonate scale inhibition in the oilfield environment containing carbon dioxide.

Journal of Petroleum Exploration and Production Technology

The political network absorbed a strong organizational feature from the bureaucratic system into its structure, while the professional network reflected a relatively weak role of the level of organizations.

The Journal of Chinese Sociology

Discrete Dislocation Dynamics (DDD) simulations reveal that the weak temperature sensitivity can be rationalized in terms of the weak role of screw dislocations in controlling plasticity; unique to small crystals of finite size.

Acta Materialia

The film became a blockbuster and won critical acclaim, with a reviewer citing that Madhavan acts with "extreme, believable sincerity" dubbing him as "truly a poster boy for India", whilst another claimed he performed " a weak role with elan".

Wikipedia

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

40 human-written examples

Although whole genome linkage scan and functional studies have implied several very promising positional candidates, such as NRG1 [ 23], DTNBP1 [ 24], COMT [ 4], DISC1 [ 25], DAOA [ 26, 27], RGS4 [ 28] and so on [ 5, 23, 28- 31], there may be several genes that play subtle or weak roles in the pathogenesis of SZ, making it difficult to investigate by traditional approaches.

Behavioral and Brain Functions

American musicians have a far weaker role than their counterparts abroad.

The New York Times - Arts

Nor should a stronger NATO mean a weaker role for the United Nations.

The Economist

It also means an even weaker role for local authorities, which are meant to oversee local arrangements and (wishful thinking) to take a progressive view of how school places might be allocated fairly in their patch.

The Guardian

The Azules ("Blues"), who prevailed, favoured a constitutional government by a coalition including the Peronists, who would be confined to a weaker role than that indicated by their voting strength.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing the influence of a factor, use "weak role" to indicate its limited impact, ensuring clarity by specifying what it weakly influences. For instance, "technology played a weak role in the company's initial growth".

Common error

Avoid assuming "weak role" implies complete absence of influence. Instead, clarify the degree and specific areas where the role is weak to prevent misinterpretations. For example, instead of saying "the government had a weak role", specify "the government had a weak role in regulating the industry".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "weak role" functions as a noun phrase where the adjective "weak" modifies the noun "role". It describes the degree of influence or importance associated with a particular function, position, or factor. Ludwig AI shows its flexibility across different domains.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

Science

43%

News & Media

33%

Wiki

5%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

5%

Formal & Business

4%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "weak role" effectively communicates limited influence or significance. As Ludwig AI underlines, it's grammatically sound and applicable across diverse contexts like Science and News & Media. When employing this phrase, consider alternatives like ""minor role"" or ""limited role"" to precisely convey the intended meaning. To avoid misinterpretations, always specify the scope of what exactly constitutes the "weak role".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

minor role

Changes the adjective to indicate less importance, maintaining the core meaning of limited influence.

limited role

Replaces "weak" with a synonym that directly conveys a restriction in scope or influence.

reduced role

Suggests a decrease in importance or activity, implying a previous stronger position.

diminished role

Emphasizes a decline in the significance or effectiveness of the role.

insignificant role

Highlights the lack of importance or impact of the role.

peripheral role

Indicates the role is on the edge or not central to the main activity or concern.

secondary role

Presents the role as less important compared to others.

subordinate role

Suggests the role is under the authority or control of another, hence less powerful.

nominal role

Indicates a role that exists in name only, with little to no real power or influence.

token role

Implies the role is symbolic and lacks substantive power or influence.

FAQs

How can I use "weak role" in a sentence?

Use "weak role" to describe a situation where something has a limited or minor impact. For example, "Despite the initial investment, marketing played a "weak role" in the product's success".

What are some alternatives to using "weak role"?

Alternatives to "weak role" include "minor role", "limited role", or "reduced role". Choose the one that best fits the context of your sentence.

Is it correct to say "a role was weak"?

While grammatically sound, it's better to say "the role played a weak role" or rephrase to "the role had a limited impact". The original phrasing can sound awkward. You could also consider alternatives like "diminished role".

What's the difference between "weak role" and "supporting role"?

"Weak role" implies limited influence or importance, while "supporting role" indicates a secondary but potentially significant function. A supporting role isn't necessarily weak; it may be crucial. However a "weak role" is not that important at all.