less

¹

[ les ]

adverb

1. to a smaller extent, amount, or degree:

   less exact.

2. most certainly not (often preceded by much or still ):

   He could barely pay for his own lodging, much less for that of his friend.

3. in any way different; other:

   He is nothing less than a thief.

adjective

1. smaller in size, amount, degree, etc.; not so large, great, or much:

   less money; less speed.

2. lower in consideration, rank, or importance:

   no less a person than the manager.

3. fewer:

   less than a dozen.

noun

1. a smaller amount or quantity:

   Hundreds of soldiers arrived, but less of them remained.

2. something inferior or not as important:

   He was tortured for less.

preposition

1. minus; without:

   a year less two days; six dollars less tax.

-less

²

1. an adjective suffix meaning “without” ( childless; peerless ), and in adjectives derived from verbs, indicating failure or inability to perform or be performed ( resistless; tireless ).

-less

¹

suffix forming adjectives

1. without; lacking

   speechless

2. not able to (do something) or not able to be (done, performed, etc)

   countless

less

²

/ lɛs /

determiner

1. 1. the comparative of little

      less spirit than before

      less sugar

   2. ( as pronoun; functioning as sing or plural )

      she has less than she needs

      the less you eat, the less you want

2. usually preceded by no lower in rank or importance

   St James the Less

   no less a man than the president

3. no less informal.
   used to indicate surprise or admiration, often sarcastic, at the preceding statement

   she says she's been to Italy, no less

4. less of
   to a smaller extent or degree

   we see less of John these days

   less of a success than I'd hoped

adverb

1. the comparative of little (sense 1)

   less beautiful

   she walks less than she should

   less quickly

2. much less or still less
   used to reinforce a negative

   we don't like it, still less enjoy it

3. think less of
   to have a lower opinion of

preposition

1. subtracting; minus

   three weeks less a day

Usage

Less should not be confused with fewer. Less refers strictly only to quantity and not to number: there is less water than before. Fewer means smaller in number: there are fewer people than before

Confusables Note

Even though less has been used before plural nouns ( less words; less men ) since the time of King Alfred, many modern usage guides say that only fewer can be used in such contexts. Less, they say, should modify singular mass nouns ( less sugar; less money ) and singular abstract nouns ( less honesty; less love ). It should modify plural nouns only when they suggest combination into a unit, group, or aggregation: less than $50 (a sum of money); less than three miles (a unit of distance). With plural nouns specifying individuals or readily distinguishable units, the guides say that fewer is the only proper choice: fewer words; fewer men; no fewer than 31 of the 50 states. Modern standard English practice does not reflect this distinction. When followed by than, less occurs at least as often as fewer in modifying plural nouns that are not units or groups, and the use of less in this construction is increasing in all varieties of English: less than eight million people; no less than 31 of the 50 states. When not followed by than, fewer is more frequent only in formal written English, and in this construction also the use of less is increasing: This year we have had less crimes, less accidents, and less fires than in any of the last five years.

Word History and Origins

Origin of less¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English lǣs (adverb), lǣssa (adjective); cognate with Old Frisian lês (adverb), lêssa (adjective); least

Origin of less²

Middle English -les, Old English -lēas, special use of lēas free from, without, false; cognate with Old Norse lauss, German los, loose

Word History and Origins

Origin of less¹

Old English -lās, from lēas lacking

Origin of less²

Old English lǣssa (adj), lǣs (adv, n)

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. less than, by far short of being; not in the least; hardly at all:

   The job is less than perfect.

More idioms and phrases containing less

In addition to the idiom beginning with less , also see couldn't care less ; in (less than) no time ; more or less ; much less .

Synonym Study

See small.

Example Sentences

Submission is less a novel of ideas than a political book, and of the most subversive kind.

From The Daily Beast

Back in New York, the slow pace and inward focus of her yoga practice was less fulfilling.

From The Daily Beast

For many years afterward it was a never-ending topic of conversation, and is more or less talked of even to this day.

From The Daily Beast

No one wants to align with less freedom at a time like this.

From The Daily Beast

The pulps brought new readers to serious fiction, making it less intimidating with alluring art and low prices.

From The Daily Beast

In less than ten minutes, the bivouac was broken up, and our little army on the march.

From Project Gutenberg

He was too drowsy to hold the thought more than a moment in his mind, much less to reflect upon it.

From Project Gutenberg

He did believe you, more or less, and what you said fell in with his own impressions—strange impressions that they were, poor man!

From Project Gutenberg

One would not have wanted her white neck a mite less full or her beautiful arms more slender.

From Project Gutenberg

With childlike confidence he follows the advice of some more or less honest dealer.

From Project Gutenberg