less

1 of 5

adjective

ˈles 

comparative of little entry 1

1

: constituting a more limited number or amount

less than three

less than half done

2

: of lower rank, degree, or importance

no less a person than the president himself

3

a

: of reduced size, extent, or degree

b

: more limited in quantity

in less time

Less vs. Fewer: Usage Guide

The traditional view is that less applies to matters of degree, value, or amount and modifies collective nouns, mass nouns, or nouns denoting an abstract whole while fewer applies to matters of number and modifies plural nouns. Less has been used to modify plural nouns since the days of King Alfred and the usage, though roundly decried, appears to be increasing. Less is more likely than fewer to modify plural nouns when distances, sums of money, and a few fixed phrases are involved

less than 100 miles

an investment of less than $2000

in 25 words or less

and as likely as fewer to modify periods of time.

in less (or fewer) than four hours

less

2 of 5

adverb

comparative of little entry 2

: to a lesser extent or degree

less

3 of 5

noun

plural less

1

: a smaller portion or quantity

2

: something of less importance

less

4 of 5

preposition

: diminished by : minus

-less

5 of 5

adjective suffix

1

: destitute of : not having

witless

childless

2

: unable to be acted on or to act (in a specified way)

dauntless

fadeless

Phrases

no less

—used to emphasize that something is regarded as impressive or surprising

wants to be driven to the airport, in a limousine no less

less and less

: to a progressively smaller size or extent

less than

: by no means : not at all

less than honest in his replies

Synonyms

Adjective

• inferior
• junior
• lesser
• lower
• minor
• smaller
• subordinate

Examples of less in a Sentence

Adjective

We need less talk and more work!

She finished in less time than I did.

Less detail is sometimes better than more detail.

8 times 2 is less than 6 times 3.

We made it there in less than six hours.

The whole procedure takes less than five minutes.

The illness affects less than one percent of the population.

Adverb

This test seemed much less difficult than the last one.

Which test is the less difficult of the two?

Do you have another one that's less expensive?

She visits much less often than she used to.

They're focusing more on quality and less on quantity.

Their band is less concerned with making music than with making money.

Preposition

We earned two hundred dollars, less travel expenses.

Adjective suffix

my first painless day since leaving the hospital

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

The court acknowledged that CSI’s exit protocol took less time than the bag searches for which the court held Apple had to pay its exiting employees. —Dan Eaton, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Apr. 2024

This group of borrowers includes single borrowers earning $120,000 or less a year, and married borrowers who make $240,000. —Sequoia Carrillo, NPR, 8 Apr. 2024

An eastern redbud, on the other hand, will give you similar pink flowers but with less maintenance. —Karen Hugg, Washington Post, 8 Apr. 2024

More than kin and less than kind, Rev immediately starts menacing Juicy with needling comments and unveiled threats. —Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2024

California will receive a lesser, but still remarkable show, a partial solar eclipse, where the sun will look like a giant yellow disk with a bite taken out of it Monday morning. —Paul Rogers, The Mercury News, 8 Apr. 2024

Lamar and Cole have less of a public track record, but the North Carolina rapper’s admiration has always been palpable. —Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 8 Apr. 2024

In 2024, aviation consultancy IBA estimates that COMAC will deliver nine jets—that’s less than a third of Boeing’s monthly deliveries, pointing to the tall task the Chinese group faces. —Byprarthana Prakash, Fortune Europe, 8 Apr. 2024

All programs have received considerable interest: Despite only taking on less than 10 people per class, Tiffany’s New York cohort received more than 500 applicants, the Rhode Island program saw 200, and TAG’s program got more than 100 applicants. —Paige McGlauflin, Fortune, 8 Apr. 2024

Adverb

As Indira Varma can attest, inhabiting Lady Macbeth eight times a week — in a production spanning four cities and five months, no less — is a gratifying but taxing affair. —Thomas Floyd, Washington Post, 9 Apr. 2024

In the Los Angeles-Long Beach metro area, a gallon of regular self-serve gasoline costs a few pennies less on average than in the rest of the state: $5.34. —Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2024

An endless scroll of tailored content means that young minds are saturated, emerging studies show that those who use TikTok are more easily distracted and less able to focus on tasks. —Howard Murphy, Rolling Stone, 9 Apr. 2024

Investment is low, and that means less good, quality jobs in the rest of the economy. —Morgan Meaker, WIRED, 9 Apr. 2024

The effect is less obvious in other mammals, Ryan says. —Jon Hamilton, NPR, 9 Apr. 2024

The House bill on the subject passed four weeks ago by an impressive margin of 352-65, but its chances in the Senate are far less certain. —David Meyer, Fortune, 9 Apr. 2024

Shorter cruises may also lend themselves more to a party atmosphere and be less kid-friendly. —Nathan Diller, USA TODAY, 8 Apr. 2024

Major football tournaments provide less of a boost to the chain than rival operators because JD Wetherspoon only shows the big games and is less centered around sports. —Chloé Meley, Fortune Europe, 8 Apr. 2024

Noun

Jobless and benefit-less: What should COVID-19's economic victims do for health insurance? —Shefali Luthra, Phil Galewitz and Rachel Bluth, USA TODAY, 3 Apr. 2020

Hassett warned that March job lesses could be among the worst on record. —Kathryn Watson, CBS News, 20 Mar. 2020

But that doesn't make the scar (and the fall that preceded it) any less of an emotional trauma. —Leah Prinzivalli, Allure, 8 Oct. 2018

The have-lesses would dig in and hope to sneak something on the break. —Joshua Robinson, WSJ, 17 June 2018

Sometimes burp-less is used as a marketing term for Asian varieties of cucumbers. —The Editors Of Organic Life, Good Housekeeping, 19 May 2017

Studying at home makes child care less of an obstacle and cuts out commuting time. —Cliff Pinckard, cleveland.com, 4 Feb. 2018

The Giants were shut out for the first time 13 years at Arizona, pulse-less on offense. —Peter King, SI.com, 26 Dec. 2017

Sleek and Brushed Back Another way to help to minimize the exposure of the scalp is to go part-less with a sleek, brushed back, wet look. —Wendy Sy, Allure, 24 Oct. 2017

Preposition

Get ready for a lot less facial hair on your television. —Megan Friedman, Country Living, 17 Nov. 2016

Word History

Etymology

Adjective, Adverb, Noun, and Preposition

Middle English, partly from Old English lǣs, adverb & noun; partly from lǣssa, adjective; akin to Old Frisian lēs less

Adjective suffix

Middle English -les, -lesse, from Old English -lēas, from lēas devoid, false; akin to Old High German lōs loose, Old English losian to get lost — more at lose

First Known Use

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adverb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Preposition

1623, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing less

• in less than no time
• no less than
• still less
• more or less
• less than thrilled
• could/couldn't care less
• have/share more/less in common with
• think less of
• nothing less than
• not a penny less/more
• much less
• the less said, the better
• care less
• will-less
• less than
• no less
• less and less

Kids Definition

less

1 of 5 adjective

ˈles 

1

: being a smaller number : fewer

8 times 2 is less than 6 times 3

less than six hours

2

: of lower rank, degree, or importance

no less a person than the president

3

: not so much : being a smaller amount

we need less talk and more work

finished in less time

less

2 of 5 adverb

: not so much or so well

less difficult

liked the second book less

less

3 of 5 preposition

: minus entry 1 sense 1

the regular price less a discount

less

4 of 5 noun

plural less

1

: a smaller number or amount

we have less than before

2

: something that is poorer or less important than another

could be arrested for less

-less

5 of 5 adjective suffix

ləs

1

: not having

childless

2

: not able to be acted on or to act in a specified way

ceaseless

Etymology

Adjective suffix

Old English -lēas (suffix) "not having," from lēas "false"

Medical Definition

less, lesser

comparative of little