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.
More or less since Mass Eye and Ear was founded in around 1824, we've been publishing annual reports from the different departments and laboratories.
From Scientific American • Jan. 12, 2023
More or less whatever they want, Ms Sturgeon has committed to it at some point.
From BBC • Oct. 9, 2022
"More or less, we were pretty stable, especially given the pandemic situation," Lisbon pensioner Leonel Pereira, 66, told Reuters.
From Reuters • Nov. 4, 2021
When I asked for recommendations, employees would unfailingly ask what I was in the mood for — More or less caffeination?
From Washington Post • Feb. 26, 2020
“Kind of flawless. More or less magnificent. Without blemish. Rather on the ideal side.”
From "The Princess Bride" by William Goldman
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.
