- comparative of little.
lesser
Americanadjective
adverb
adjective
Etymology
Origin of lesser
First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English lasser, lesser; see less, -er 4
Compare meaning
How does lesser compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
A wary Tinseltown reluctantly lined up behind Netflix as the lesser of two evils, only to watch Paramount keep raising its bid until the streamer walked away in February.
From Barron's ● Jul. 20, 2026
“Then he has a fighting chance to work his way back. Trying to do everything — even at a lesser dosage — just wasn’t feasible.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 18, 2026
Laura Parker, a lawyer for the center, said it can be hard for people to understand why a tiny lizard, or rare mussel species, or the lesser prairie chicken are worth preserving.
From Salon ● Jul. 15, 2026
During a second pregnancy, this same network changed again, although to a lesser degree.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 11, 2026
There the white Snowbourn, joined by the lesser stream, went rushing, fuming on the stones, down to Edoras and the green hills and the plains.
From "The Return of the King" by J.R.R. Tolkien
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
