more or less
Idioms-
Approximately, as in The truck will hold nine yards of dirt, more or less . This usage was first recorded in 1589.
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Basically, essentially, as in We more or less agree on the substance of the letter . This usage was first recorded about 1225.
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.
She even more or less admitted it herself when she said that she only has difficult conversations with the boss over “little things.”
From Salon ● Sep. 20, 2026
The U.S. dollar was more or less flat as traders’ inflation nerves were eased by the Fed policy statement and oil’s slippage.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026
But when Iater asked El-Sayed what he was thinking in that moment, he more or less demurred.
From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026
One traffic and news pilot, Captain Max’s successor Jim Hicklin, was killed more or less in the line of duty.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026
I ask Kimberly, which is more or less the opposite of asking her to leave.
From "How It Went Down" by Kekla Magoon
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.
