more or less

adverb

Definition of more or lessnext
1
as in almost
very close to but not completely the lot is 16 acres more or less

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in pretty
to some degree or extent most couples in the survey said that they were more or less happy in their marriage

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in approximately
close to but not exactly the box weighs 60 pounds more or less

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of more or less Over the past half century, Americans have grown accustomed to regional conflicts fought by specialized professional troops, in which the support of Congress or the American public seems more or less irrelevant. — Beverly Gage, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2026 Whites are more or less spot-on with all three signals, and no colors show any significant tint. — Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 28 Sep. 2026 But the film is something of an endangered species since studios have more or less stopped making theatrical comedies. — Brent Lang, IndieWire, 25 Sep. 2026 But at face value, neither plan is more effective than the other—rather, dietary patterns are more or less effective depending on each individual person. — Lindsay Curtis, HEALTH, 25 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for more or less
Recent Examples of Synonyms for more or less
  1. almost
  2. pretty
  3. approximately
  4. practically
  5. quite
  6. about
  7. nearly
  8. relatively
Adverb
  • There’s plenty of other awful things happening in the episode, almost all of them revolving around Sai.
    — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Genetic comparisons revealed that deep-sea viral communities in the region are almost entirely unique, with just 4 percent of their protein clusters matching global databases.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of almost
Adverb
  • Look, for the first time, Democrats are not just campaigning on each coast, Chris, and that's pretty good for us.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 11 Oct. 2026
  • The snake-haired figure gets a pretty bad rap, according to Wilson, who thinks people tend to overlook the more complicated parts of her mythology.
    — Maggie Clancy, Footwear News, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of pretty
Adverb
  • Construction site trial succeeds The team tested the complete system at an active construction site, where a worker wore the device for approximately 165 minutes while performing normal daily activities.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Between 1990 and 2017, the Justice Department pursued approximately 305 denaturalization cases nationwide, averaging about 11 annually, according to figures previously reported by the Miami Herald.
    — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of approximately
Adverb
  • The actress is an enormously entertaining presence, and the premise practically begs for an explosive music video finale.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Mark Folk, one of Bob’s closest friends since college, remembers Bob going from barely running to entering races practically every weekend.
    — Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of practically
Adverb
  • The press release probably didn’t need to also say the company imbued it with distinctive character or charm; that’s quite obvious from the design.
    — Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Nothing, however, has lived on quite like his appreciation for the mundane.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of quite
Adverb
  • The governor’s mansion, Plantation House, was built in 1791 by the East India Company, and is famed today as the home of Jonathan, a tortoise from the Seychelles who is now aged about 194 and thought to be the oldest creature on Earth.
    — The Week UK, TheWeek, 11 Oct. 2026
  • The main museum, at 1250 Bannock Street, will continue to show and conserve Still’s roughly 3,125 pieces of art (or about 93% of his lifetime work, officials said).
    — John Wenzel, Denver Post, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of about
Adverb
  • South Korea's Kospi declined nearly 2% and Australia's benchmark S&P/ASX 200 ended flat.
    — Justina Lee, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2026
  • One study found that, while just under half of hiring managers looked for AI and related tech skills, nearly three quarters (73%) prized critical thinking/problem-solving, and 65% looked for adaptability/learning agility.
    — Reynald Fasciaux, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of nearly
Adverb
  • On Dalporto’s watch, Guitar Center has leaned into relatively new, faster-growing areas like DJ equipment, keyboards, drums, and recording studio gear.
    — Phil Wahba, Fortune, 10 Oct. 2026
  • The threat of tsunami has likely largely receded, says USGS seismologist Susan Hough, as the quake occurred on land and happened at a relatively shallow depth.
    — Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of relatively

Browse Nearby Words

more
more or less
moreover
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Cite this Entry

“More or less.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/more%20or%20less. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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