plural in construction
: not many persons or things
few were present
few of his stories are true
1
: consisting of or amounting to only a small number
one of our few pleasures
2
: at least some but indeterminately small in number
—used with a
caught a few fish
fewness
noun
plural in construction
1
: a small number of units or individuals
a few of them
2
: a special limited number
the discriminating few
Synonyms
Examples of few in a Sentence
Adjective
He caught fewer fish than the rest of us.
There are fewer children at the school this year.
Not many people came, but the few people who did enjoyed themselves.
Noun
a few of the songs on the album are good, but most are forgettable
Recent Examples on the Web
Kaycee Sloan, The Enquirer, 22 Nov. 2024
The carriage procession was kept deliberately shorter than Queen Elizabeth II’s and fewer guests were invited to attend the main ceremony in London’s Westminster Abbey, the source noted.
—Anna Cooban, CNN, 22 Nov. 2024
Armstrong Williams, Baltimore Sun, 24 Apr. 2024
The combo pairs late-season heli-skiing with fishing for king salmon, an impressive Alaska double few can claim to have pulled off.
—Mike Campbell, Anchorage Daily News, 28 May 2020
See all Example Sentences for few 
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.
Adjective
The movement caught wind in the United States a few years ago, but interest has increased following Trump's re-election.
—Kaycee Sloan, The Enquirer, 22 Nov. 2024
The carriage procession was kept deliberately shorter than Queen Elizabeth II’s and fewer guests were invited to attend the main ceremony in London’s Westminster Abbey, the source noted.
—Anna Cooban, CNN, 22 Nov. 2024
Noun
Journalists were once a proud few who fought back against tyranny and the lies that governments told.
—Armstrong Williams, Baltimore Sun, 24 Apr. 2024
The combo pairs late-season heli-skiing with fishing for king salmon, an impressive Alaska double few can claim to have pulled off.
—Mike Campbell, Anchorage Daily News, 28 May 2020
See all Example Sentences for few
Dictionary Entries Near few
Cite this Entry
“Few.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/few. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
few
1 of 3 pronoun
: not many persons or things
—used in plural
few were present
few
2 of 3 adjective1
: amounting to only a small number
one of the few sports I play
2
: not many but some
caught a few fish
fewness
noun
few
3 of 3 noun1
: a small number of units or individuals
a few of them
2
: a special limited number
the select few
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share