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

Four of those indicted subsequently admitted lesser charges.

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You want to choose the lesser of all evils.

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However, he thinks that earnings momentum at ANZ, and to a lesser extent at Westpac, will keep up the pressure on Commonwealth’s relative performance.

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Such trivial concerns were left to lesser schools, institutions that perhaps couldn’t appreciate the sanctity of a 10-week regular season, the purity of life without football scholarships, or the venerable tradition of Harvard-Yale.

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Keeping the lesser charges in place risked running afoul of state laws that forbid “double jeopardy” or prosecuting a defendant twice for the same alleged crime, the Salehpours said the D.A. explained.

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Related Words

• insignificant 
• minor