Is it grammatically correct to say that you wish to "study X at depth" (where X is some subject/field).
I thought you could say "study X at depth" similar to how you could say "study X in depth", but I'm not so sure anymore
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5If you used at depth, I would initially infer that it was an underwater study.– DavoSep 25, 2019 at 19:55
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I do occasionally see "at depth", but I think it mostly occurs in a phrase similar to "When X is examined at depth ..."– Hot LicksSep 26, 2019 at 1:46
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@HotLicks if you can say "when X is examined at depth..." why can you not say "I want to study(/examine) X at depth" ?– PozogoSep 26, 2019 at 20:08
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@PixelZerg - You can, it's just not as idiomatic.– Hot LicksSep 26, 2019 at 21:39
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2 Answers
I think you might have (con)fused "in depth" and "at length" with one another.
The Cambridge Dictionary define in-depth as:
done carefully and in great detail
For example:
You might have studied American modernism in-depth.
The idiom at length is defined by The Free Dictionary as:
in great detail
For example:
I studied American modernism in college, so I can speak about it at length.
You definitely study something "in depth". I wonder if you are thinking of the expression "at length"? "I studied the author in depth and then we discussed him at length".
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This is the beginning of a valid answer. Perhaps you can flesh it out with some sourcing and examples of usage.– David MSep 25, 2019 at 20:49