less

adjective

\ ˈles

Definition of less

(Entry 1 of 5)

comparative of little entry 1

1 : constituting a more limited number or amount less than three less than half done

2 : of lower rank, degree, or importance no less a person than the president himself

3a : of reduced size, extent, or degree

b : more limited in quantity in less time

no less

—used to emphasize that something is regarded as impressive or surprising wants to be driven to the airport, in a limousine no less

less

adverb

Definition of less (Entry 2 of 5)

comparative of little entry 2

: to a lesser extent or degree

less and less

: to a progressively smaller size or extent

less than

: by no means : not at all less than honest in his replies

less

noun

plural less

Definition of less (Entry 3 of 5)

1 : a smaller portion or quantity

2 : something of less importance

less

preposition

Definition of less (Entry 4 of 5)

: diminished by : minus

-less

adjective suffix

Definition of -less (Entry 5 of 5)

1 : destitute of : not having witless childless

2 : unable to be acted on or to act (in a specified way) dauntless fadeless

Synonyms & Antonyms Less vs. Fewer: Usage Guide More Example Sentences Learn More about less

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Less vs. Fewer: Usage Guide

Adjective

The traditional view is that less applies to matters of degree, value, or amount and modifies collective nouns, mass nouns, or nouns denoting an abstract whole while fewer applies to matters of number and modifies plural nouns. Less has been used to modify plural nouns since the days of King Alfred and the usage, though roundly decried, appears to be increasing. Less is more likely than fewer to modify plural nouns when distances, sums of money, and a few fixed phrases are involved less than 100 miles an investment of less than $2000 in 25 words or less and as likely as fewer to modify periods of time. in less (or fewer) than four hours

Examples of less in a Sentence

Adjective

We need less talk and more work! She finished in less time than I did. Less detail is sometimes better than more detail. 8 times 2 is less than 6 times 3. We made it there in less than six hours. The whole procedure takes less than five minutes. The illness affects less than one percent of the population.

Adverb

This test seemed much less difficult than the last one. Which test is the less difficult of the two? Do you have another one that's less expensive? She visits much less often than she used to. They're focusing more on quality and less on quantity. Their band is less concerned with making music than with making money.

Preposition

We earned two hundred dollars, less travel expenses.

Adjective suffix

my first painless day since leaving the hospital

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

That is less than a third as fast as South Korea, the world leader at 28.6 Mbps. — Dennis Normile, Science | AAAS, "Science suffers as China’s internet censors plug holes in Great Firewall," 30 Aug. 2017 And neither the Police Department nor the Justice Department has released subsequent drafts, much less a final one. — jsonline.com, "Trust damaged between Milwaukee police and community, Department of Justice draft report says," 30 Aug. 2017 Abdullah totaled 99 yards in less than one half of the Week Three preseason game. ▪ — Alan Satterlee, charlotteobserver, "These 22 fantasy football draft tips will help you nail your opening lineup," 30 Aug. 2017 No city is prepared for that, much less a city with as limited a planning process as Houston’s. — Ed Kilgore, Daily Intelligencer, "More Zoning Wouldn’t Have Protected Houston From Harvey’s Fury, But Less Sprawl Would Have Helped," 29 Aug. 2017 Most of the wildly energetic songs sung by magnetic vocalist Marisa Dabice are less than two. — Dan Deluca, Philly.com, "10 Philly acts to catch at Made in America," 29 Aug. 2017 Though that greyscale removal process probably would have killed a lesser man. — Katey Rich, HWD, "What Actually Happened on Game of Thrones This Season," 28 Aug. 2017 That is less true of applicants from countries that send fewer immigrants, which compounds the perception that our immigration system is maddeningly arbitrary. — Reihan Salam, National Review, "The Case for Skills-Based Immigration," 28 Aug. 2017 Pillowy baos (buns) filled with fried chicken, confit pork, or lamb shoulder await, and cost less than a tube ticket. — Condé Nast Traveler, "Have you been here?," 25 Aug. 2017

Recent Examples on the Web: Adverb

Little evidence exists to show whether schools are safer or less safe after staff are armed. — Meg Wingerter, The Denver Post, "Castle Rock charter school that allows staff to carry concealed guns will leave Douglas County School District," 23 Aug. 2019 Unlike a human driver, AVs aren't frustrated by driving further in congestion to attain less expensive parking. — Constantine Samaras, The Conversation, "Bargain-hunting robocars could spell the end for downtown parking – cities need to plan ahead now," 23 Aug. 2019 People who live in the suburbs or rural areas are also more likely to rely on personal vehicles for things like transportation, takeout food, and grocery shopping, making on-demand companies that offer these services less appealing. — Alison Griswold, Quartz, "The sharing economy is a massive transfer of wealth from rich investors to rich consumers," 21 Aug. 2019 Smaller residential care homes can be considerably less expensive -- about $2,000 to $2,500 a month and up. — Mary Jacobs, Dallas News, "The cost conundrum: Once you find the right elder care, do the research to pay for it," 20 Aug. 2019 Putting Disney Plus on FireTV might be less appealing while Disney is still preparing for a truly global rollout. — David Z. Morris, Fortune, "Disney’s New Streaming Service Will Be Unavailable on the World’s Most Popular Streaming Devices," 19 Aug. 2019 And there's now ample evidence that touchscreen machines are a less effective way to record voters' choices than a traditional paper ballot. — Timothy B. Lee, Ars Technica, "Judge orders Georgia to switch to paper ballots for 2020 elections," 16 Aug. 2019

less

Definition of less

Synonyms & Antonyms for less

Less vs. Fewer: Usage Guide

Examples of less in a Sentence

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