Showing results for "lesser"

• comparative of little.

lesser

American  

[les-er] / ˈlɛs ər /

adjective

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

   a lesser evil.

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adverb

1. less.

lesser British  

/ ˈlɛsə /

adjective

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

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Etymology

Origin of lesser

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

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Compare meaning

How does lesser compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• lesser vs. lessor

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Explanation

Use the adjective lesser to describe something that's smaller than or inferior to something else. A lesser singer might sound fine in the context of a large chorus, but a solo performance could be tricky. A young car thief might be charged with a lesser crime because of his age — trespassing instead of larceny, for example. He's also likely to end up with a lesser punishment in that case. Sometimes people talk about "the lesser of two evils," by which they mean the less bad of two bad choices, or describe something as "lesser-known," like a rarely studied poet or an unacknowledged scientist.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

lesser

Lighthouse said its therapy centers primarily serve patients with acute autism, that it has no minimum required level of therapy, and that it refers about 10% of prospective patients—generally ones with lesser needs—elsewhere.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026

Faded stars could scrape out a second act in B-movies and lesser studio offerings without losing the prestige of the silver screen.

From Salon ● Oct. 18, 2026

Policy wonks are not typically famous: If they are, that fame is restricted to a league of Beltway professionals—famous in the way that really good brain surgeons are famous to other, presumably lesser brain surgeons.

From Slate ● Oct. 15, 2026

Pike's legal team, meanwhile, are calling on Tennessee Governor Bill Lee to commute her punishment to the lesser sentence of life in prison without parole.

From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026

There were quieter expeditions ashore, other days, with the Master Herbal who taught the ways and properties of things that grow; and the Master Hand taught sleight and jugglery and the lesser arts of Changing.

From "A Wizard of Earthsea" by Ursula K. Le Guin

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Related Words

• insignificant
• minor

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