Less

Word LESS
Character 4
Hyphenation less
Pronunciations /lɛs/

Definitions and meanings of "Less"

What do we mean by less?

Not as great in amount or quantity. adjective

Lower in importance, esteem, or rank. adjective

Consisting of a smaller number. adjective

With the deduction of; minus. preposition

To a smaller extent, degree, or frequency. adverb

A smaller amount. noun

Something not as important as something else. noun

(less than) Not at all. idiom

(much/still) Certainly not. idiom

In a smaller or lower degree; to an inferior extent, amount, etc.; in a decreased or abated way or manner: as, less prudent; less carefully executed; to exaggerate less; to think less of a person.

Unless.

A common English suffix forming, from nouns, adjectives meaning ‘without’ (lacking, wanting, void of, destitute of) the thing or quality denoted by the noun: as. childless, without a child; fatherless, without a father; endless, without end; hopeless, without hope; leafless, without leaves; shameless, without shame; so motherless, penniless, faithless, godless, graceless, lawless, witless, remediless, tasteless, etc.

To make less; lessen.

To become less; lessen.

Not so much or so large; of smaller quantity, amount, bulk, or capacity; inferior in dimensions, extent, or duration: as, less honor or reward; less profit or possessions; less time; less distance; less scope or range; the reward is less than he deserves; a man of less courage or ability; an article of less, weight or value.

Not so great, considerable, or important; of smaller scope or consequence; lower in the scale: as, St. James the Less; his honors are less than his deserts.

Synonyms Smaller, Less, Fewer. Smaller is rather more exact than less, but is used freely of persons and of things both concrete and abstract: as, a smaller man, soul, size. Less is not used of persons: as, less trouble, happiness, size, degree; less of an evil. With reference to size and number, the proper words are smaller and fewer. “This apple is less than that,” “There were less people there than I expected,” are inelegant and erroneous, although similar expressions are often used both in speech and in writing. While the latter, however, is in excusable, the former may be used sparingly without offense in certain collocations, especially in poetry. The allusion to the mustard-seed in Mark iv. 31 appears to be the only example in the Bible of the use of less in the sense of ‘smaller in size.’ In Shakspere's plays the word occurs more than two hundred times, and in Milton's poems more than a hundred; in the former it is used only four or five times and in the latter three times in the sense of ‘smaller in size,’ and never in that of ‘fewer.’

Unless. conjunction

Not so much; in a smaller or lower degree adverb

A smaller portion or quantity. noun

A smaller amount or quantity.

Synonyms and Antonyms for Less

The word "less" in example sentences

+Positive Degree+; that which expresses the quality in a greater or a less degree, as _sweeter_, _less sweet_, is of the +Comparative Degree+; and that which expresses the quality in the greatest or the least degree, as ❋ Brainerd Kellogg (N/A)

"I do not doubt that, at least so far as _I_ am concerned, I have been friends with more -- with less -- I mean with more -- no, with _less_ intereresting people." ❋ [pseud.] Vera (N/A)

Hatred, which an immoderate Zeal swells some bigotted Sectaries with, nor the unlucky Spoils of these poor People, render criminal or miserable the _most faithful_ of your Subjects; to whom their lawful King, as you are, is not _the less dear_, nor _less respected_, because of a _different Belief_ from _theirs_. ❋ Henry Brooke (N/A)

_The more ... the more_, _the less ... the less_, are translated by means of the particles _ju_ and _des_. ❋ William W. Mann (N/A)

If one man less admirable than another; if his friends and his entertainments are inclined to become rowdy and discreditable, does he need help _less_, or more? ❋ George De Horne Vaizey (1887)

The claims of evil become both less and more in Christian Science, than in human philosophies or creeds: _more_, because the evil that is hidden by dogma and human reason is uncovered by Science; and _less_, because evil, being thus uncovered, is found out, and exposure is nine points of destruction. ❋ Mary Baker Eddy (1865)

There had certainly been so many important changes in myself during the same period, that it becomes me to speak with hesitation on this point: but even the common class seemed less peculiar, less English, _less provincial_, if one might use such an expression, as applied to so great a nation; in short, more like the rest of the world than formerly. ❋ James Fenimore Cooper (1820)

And to this I must negatively answer, _Not to be less religious, that we may differ the less_. ❋ Daniel Defoe (1696)

And the problem she faces is  to find a less physically compromising way, "- now listen to this -" a less  physically compromising way to express her blocked needs. " ❋ Michaud, S G & Aynesworth H (1989)

"Certainly not," assented Bates kindly, linking his arm in mine as he spoke; "certainly not; you would be something more or less -- _less_, I should be inclined to say -- than human if you could. ❋ Harry Collingwood (1886)

III. ii.3 (320,3) We know him for no less] That is, _we know him_ by report to be _no less_ than you represent him, though we are strangers to his person. ❋ Samuel Johnson (1746)

But I would be using the term less professionally than I prefer. ❋ Reed Arvin (2000)

I prefer a semi-naked male chest - I always believe in less is best. ❋ Nalini Singh (2009)

In each of the four major leagues, the best regular-season team has won the title less than half the time since 1966—with baseball 29% being easily the lowest. ❋ Unknown (2012)

Wilbur, searching for a simpler explanation, ascribed it to “pettiness,” observing that Ickes changed the name less than a week after Hoover visited the construction site for the first time as a private citizen. ❋ Michael Hiltzik (2010)

The Republican Party of Marathon County has stripped its spokesman of his title less than three months after he wrote a column critical of conservative ... ❋ Unknown (2009)

The Jewish woman sat in the backseat, her expression less one of anger than of thought, her purse and a box of brownies next to her. ❋ James Lee Burke (2009)

Cross Reference for Less

What does less mean?

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