lesser

[les-er]

adjective

1. smaller, as in size or importance; inferior.

   a lesser evil.

adverb

1. less.

lesser

/ ˈlɛsə /

adjective

1. not as great in quantity, size, or worth

Word History and Origins

Origin of lesser¹

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English lasser, lesser; less, -er ⁴

Example Sentences

A ninth man is due to stand trial in January, while a 10th pleaded guilty to lesser charges.

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On Friday, court filings show federal prosecutors filed a lesser charge against Huerta of “obstruction resistance or opposition of a federal officer,” which carries a punishment of up to a year in federal prison.

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She pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of manslaughter but the jury rejected this.

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In heavy rain, Quentin Martinez followed a flooded path to a pool in a forest clearing and captured the metallic sheen of lesser tree frogs gathering to breed.

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Slow growth could hit household wealth, with a lesser ability of major economies to use government borrowing to support their economies, as occurred in recent crises.

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Related Words

• insignificant 
• minor