Less definitions and example sentences on Wordnik

View all »
Definitions (26)

American Heritage Dictionary (9)

adjective Not as great in amount or quantity: had less time to spend with the family.
adjective Lower in importance, esteem, or rank: no less a person than the ambassador.
adjective Consisting of a smaller number. See Usage Note at few.

6 more from this dictionary »

Century Dictionary (7)

Not so much or so large; of smaller quantity, amount, bulk, or capacity; inferior in dimensions, extent, or duration: as, less honor or reward; less profit or possessions; less time; less distance; less scope or range; the reward is less than he deserves; a man of less courage or ability; an article of less, weight or value. It is like a grain of mustard-seed, which … is less than all the seeds that be in the earth. Mark iv. 31. Thou … wouldst … teach me how To name the bigger light, and how the less, That burn by day and night. Shak., Tempest, i. 2. 335. More glory will be won, Or less be lost. Milton, P. L., iv. 854. The sea having lost to the north, and also to the west, on the side of the antient causeway to the island, is the reason why the eastern port [of Pharos] at present is the less. Pococke, Description of the East, I. 3. Even so late as less than half a century ago this region was still … most attractive. O. W. Holmes, Emerson, i.
Not so great, considerable, or important; of smaller scope or consequence; lower in the scale: as, St. James the Less; his honors are less than his deserts. But he that is lesse in the kyngdom of heavenes is more than he. Wyclif, Mat. xi. 11. Whan thise [tidings] were told to lasse & to more. William of Palerne (E. E. T. S.), l. 4768. Look for no less [punishment] than death. Shak., W. T., iii. 2. 92. What power shall stand in that frightful time when rebellion hath become a less evil than endurance? Macaulay, Conversation between Cowley and Milton. Great tracts of wilderness, Wherein the beast was ever more and more, But man was less and less, till Arthur came. Tennyson, Coming of Arthur.
Synonyms Smaller, Less, Fewer. Smaller is rather more exact than less, but is used freely of persons and of things both concrete and abstract: as, a smaller man, soul, size. Less is not used of persons: as, less trouble, happiness, size, degree; less of an evil. With reference to size and number, the proper words are smaller and fewer. “This apple is less than that,” “There were less people there than I expected,” are inelegant and erroneous, although similar expressions are often used both in speech and in writing. While the latter, however, is in excusable, the former may be used sparingly without offense in certain collocations, especially in poetry. The allusion to the mustard-seed in Mark iv. 31 appears to be the only example in the Bible of the use of less in the sense of ‘smaller in size.’ In Shakspere's plays the word occurs more than two hundred times, and in Milton's poems more than a hundred; in the former it is used only four or five times and in the latter three times in the sense of ‘smaller in size,’ and never in that of ‘fewer.’ The razor's edge invisible, Cutting a smaller hair than may be seen. Shak., L. L. L., v. 2. 258. Of harmes two the lesse is for to cheese. Chaucer, Troilus, ii. 470. If we are mark'd to die, we are enow To do our country loss; and if to live, The fewer men the greater share of honour. Shak., Hen. V., iv. 3. 22.

4 more from this dictionary »

GNU Webster's 1913 (5)

WordNet (5)

Elsewhere on the web

View all »
Examples (50)

He reasoned thus: If the mercurial column be supported by the atmosphere, the higher we ascend in the air, the lower the column ought to sink, for the less will be the weight of the air overhead. — Fragments of science, V. 1-2
I think today the only fair answer is "less" - less tax, less spending, less (I know, "fewer") Democrats. — Top Stories - Google News
Not the less were they maturing a serious resolve. — Sandra Belloni — Volume 2
But not the less is the beaten track to be condemned, and abandoned, and abolished, if such be in any way possible. — Castle Richmond
Are Christ's, but none the less are yours; — Verses

More examples »

Add a related word »
Related

Allen's Synonyms and Antonyms

Used in the Same Context

more · great · better · considerable · least · further

Etymologies (5)

American Heritage Dictionary (1)

Middle English lesse, from Old English lǣssa (adj.) and lǣs (adv.); see leis-² in Indo-European roots.

Century Dictionary (4)

from Middle English lesse, lasse, from Anglo-Saxon læssa (= OFries. lessa). less, smaller, for *læsra, comparative (with superlative læsast, læsest, lǣst, later English least, q. v.), from a positive prob. appearing in a deriv. form in Gothic (Moesogothic) lasiws, weak (see lass, lazy), but associated in meaning with the unrelated lytel, little, small: see little. Cf. less, adv. Hence lest, unless, less.
from Middle English lesse, les, las, from Anglo-Saxon læs (= Old Saxon les), comparative adverb, associated with læssa, adjective: see less, a.
from Middle English lessen, lessen, from lesse, less: see less, adjective Cf. lessen.
An aphetic form of unless.

less

View all »
Definitions (26)

American Heritage Dictionary (9)

Century Dictionary (7)

GNU Webster's 1913 (5)

WordNet (5)

Elsewhere on the web

View all »
Examples (50)

Tags

Stats

stop updating
On Twitter

Photos from

Add a related word »
Related

Allen's Synonyms and Antonyms

Used in the Same Context

Etymologies (5)

American Heritage Dictionary (1)

Century Dictionary (4)

Pronunciations
Record your own »

Charts

Recently looked up

Recent Favorites

Recent Pronunciations

less

View all » Definitions (26)

View all » Examples (50)

Tags

Stats

stop updating On Twitter

Photos from

Add a related word » Related

synonyms:

Etymologies (5)

Pronunciations Record your own »

Charts

Recently looked up

Recent Favorites

Recent Pronunciations

View all »
Definitions (26)

View all »
Examples (50)

stop updating
On Twitter

Add a related word »
Related

Pronunciations
Record your own »