more or less

adverb

1

: to a varying or undetermined extent or degree : somewhat

they were more or less willing to help

2

: with small variations : approximately

contains 16 acres more or less

Synonyms

• about
• all but
• almost
• borderline
• fair [chiefly British]
• fairly
• feckly [chiefly Scottish]
• most
• much
• near
• nearly
• next to
• nigh
• practically
• somewhere
• virtually
• well-nigh

Examples of more or less in a Sentence

the lot is 16 acres more or less

most couples in the survey said that they were more or less happy in their marriage

Recent Examples on the Web

The most obvious way to stand out in a big, loud multitude is to be louder, and loudness, with a side helping of eeriness, was more or less the métier of the mid-century Italian artist Domenico Gnoli. —Jackson Arn, The New Yorker, 2 May 2024

Net neutrality battle: The FCC voted to restore the policy of net neutrality, a set of rules that requires broadband internet providers to treat all internet traffic more or less equally. —Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 26 Apr. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

more or less

adverb

1

: to a varying or uncertain degree : somewhat

they were more or less willing to help

2

: with small variations : approximately

contains 16 acres more or less