fewer

American  

[fyoo-er] / ˈfyu ər /

adjective

1. of a smaller number.

   fewer words and more action.

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pronoun

1. (used with a plural verb) a smaller number.

   Fewer have come than we hoped.

Commonly Confused

See less.

Etymology

Origin of fewer

Middle English feue, feawe. fewe fewere, Old English fēawera, genitive plural of fēawa few; see -er ⁴ ( def. )

Example Sentences

As the planet continues to bake, there are also increasingly fewer ways of going about staging a World Cup.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 6, 2026

As the year wore on, though, fewer stocks have kept pace with the index’s overall gains.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 5, 2026

There’s now one fewer Tesla bear on Wall Street as J.P.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 5, 2026

“The science is really clear that we can achieve our goals with fewer acres and fewer dollars if we prioritize better than we have done,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 5, 2026

There were fewer fish, fewer squid, fewer seabirds.

From "The Wild Robot Protects" by Peter Brown