weaken communication

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "weaken communication" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when discussing factors or actions that diminish the effectiveness or clarity of communication. Example: "The lack of clear guidelines can significantly weaken communication among team members."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

Studies suggested that the lack of smoke-free home policies, even in homes without smoking parents, may weaken communication of parental antismoking values [ 29].

BioMed Research International

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

There is no systematic assessment of the public awareness, knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding immunization in general and Polio in particular, which is weakening sound communication planning.

Unicef

Previously, France said blacklisting Hezbollah would weaken lines of communication with the movement, which is also a major force in politics and social services in Lebanon.

The New York Times

Low SES could also impair mutual understanding, damage effective communication, and weaken interactive partnership between doctors and patients (33).

Diabetes Care

That is, while the symbolic distance effect may be a good predictor of arithmetic development between ages 6-8, this relationship may weaken later (Ansari, personal communication).

Behavioral and Brain Functions

The curtailment of Britain's traditional aid relationships with China, India and South Africa was weakened by poor communication and relations that, in some cases, threatened to undermine past investment, the review found.

The Guardian

Separately, studies about the herding effect have demonstrated that the immediate and next day effects are weakened by online communication.

Financial Innovation

Unidirectional communication weakens links between frontline health providers and women and leads to suboptimal maternal and neonatal health outcomes.

BMC Public Health

Dynamic interactions exist between this effect in the stock market and online communication; the latter can weaken the herding effect, suppress the continued spread of herding behavior, and improve market efficiency (Zheng et al. 2015).

Financial Innovation

It was also proved that patterns of pauses in network traffic introduced when encoding an audio signal are speaker-specific, and that they are sufficient to weaken the anonymity of the speaker in encrypted voice communication [19].

EURASIP Journal on Audio, Speech, and Music Processing

However, cybersecurity experts argue the proposals are at best a soft response to the country's core data security issues, and could potentially weaken or even criminalize academic and private sector research and communication on software vulnerabilities.

Vice

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When discussing the impact of policies or actions on communication, specify how the communication is weakened. For example, is it less frequent, less clear, or less honest?

Common error

Avoid using "weaken communication" as a general statement without specifying the context. Instead of saying "The new policy will weaken communication", clarify which communication channels or relationships will be affected and how.

Linguistic Context

The primary grammatical function of "weaken communication" is to act as a verb phrase where "weaken" is the verb indicating a reduction in strength or effectiveness, and "communication" is the noun that is being acted upon. Ludwig indicates that the phrase is correct and usable.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

Science

43%

News & Media

39%

Formal & Business

9%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

3%

Wiki

3%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "weaken communication" is grammatically sound and commonly used to describe a decline in the effectiveness or quality of communication. As Ludwig confirms, the phrase is correct and usable. While versatile across various contexts, "weaken communication" is most frequently found in scientific and news-related discussions. When using this phrase, it's best to specify how communication is weakened to provide a clearer understanding. Alternatives such as "impair communication" or "hinder communication" can be used to add nuance.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

impair communication

Replaces "weaken" with "impair", suggesting a more significant negative impact on communication.

hinder communication

Uses "hinder" to imply that communication is being obstructed or delayed.

damage communication

Suggests that communication is being harmed or injured, similar to "weaken" but with a stronger connotation.

degrade communication

Indicates a reduction in the quality or effectiveness of communication.

undermine communication

Implies that communication is being attacked or eroded from beneath, leading to instability.

erode communication

Similar to "undermine", but suggests a gradual wearing away of communication effectiveness.

disrupt communication

Focuses on the interruption or disturbance of communication processes.

attenuate communication

Uses "attenuate" to describe a lessening in the force or intensity of communication.

compromise communication

Indicates that communication is being put at risk or made vulnerable.

stifle communication

Implies that communication is being suppressed or suffocated.

FAQs

How can I use "weaken communication" in a sentence?

You can use "weaken communication" to describe situations where the clarity, frequency, or effectiveness of communication is reduced. For example: "The lack of regular meetings can weaken communication within a team".

What are some alternatives to "weaken communication"?

Alternatives include "impair communication", "hinder communication", or "degrade communication", depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is "weaken communication" grammatically correct?

Yes, "weaken communication" is grammatically correct. "Weaken" functions as a verb, and "communication" is the noun it acts upon. It's a common and acceptable phrase in English.

What's the difference between "weaken communication" and "improve communication"?

"Weaken communication" means to make communication less effective or clear, while "improve communication" means to enhance its effectiveness and clarity. They are antonyms.