as in less
having not so great importance or rank as another
it was the lesser evil of the two choices
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of lesser
Minuta, Hackett, and Moerschel were found not guilty of lesser charges, including destruction of government property.
—
Catherine Garcia, The Week, 24 Jan. 2023
In that earlier trial, three other members of the Oath Keepers were found guilty of lesser charges.
—Jan Wolfe and C. Ryan Barber, WSJ, 23 Jan. 2023
Minuta, Hackett and Moerschel were acquitted of lesser charges.
—Michael Kunzelman and Alanna Durkin Richer, Anchorage Daily News, 23 Jan. 2023
Prosecutors tend to settle for plea deals on related charges – pimping, pandering or money laundering – with lesser sentences.
—USA Today, 19 Jan. 2023
See All Example Sentences for lesser
Catherine Garcia, The Week, 24 Jan. 2023
In that earlier trial, three other members of the Oath Keepers were found guilty of lesser charges.
—Jan Wolfe and C. Ryan Barber, WSJ, 23 Jan. 2023
Minuta, Hackett and Moerschel were acquitted of lesser charges.
—Michael Kunzelman and Alanna Durkin Richer, Anchorage Daily News, 23 Jan. 2023
Prosecutors tend to settle for plea deals on related charges – pimping, pandering or money laundering – with lesser sentences.
—USA Today, 19 Jan. 2023
See All Example Sentences for lesser
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lesser
Adjective
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Fed officials are still penciling in one more cut by the end of 2026, but Chair Jerome Powell suggested those projections may be worth less than usual because of how much more uncertainty exists about inflation and the economy.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
19 Mar. 2026
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The lifelong East Austinite, who grew up on an unpaved Maple Avenue less than a mile from his restaurant on Manor Road, began his culinary career in 1973, working at the Night Hawk for Harry Akin, the first Austinite to integrate both the customer and staffing sides of a restaurant.—
Matthew Odam,
Austin American Statesman,
19 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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And ultimately, the Supreme Court overruled those lower court rulings and did declare the embryos as children qualifying under the wrongful death statute.—
Dana Taylor,
USA TODAY,
1 Mar. 2024
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Lower gas demand amid increasing supply has led to lower pump prices.—
Frank Witsil,
Detroit Free Press,
19 June 2023
Cite this Entry
“Lesser.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lesser. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
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