less

1 of 5

adjective

ˈles

Synonyms of less next

comparative of little entry 1

: constituting a more limited number or amount

less than three

less than half done

: of lower rank, degree, or importance

no less a person than the president himself

: of reduced size, extent, or degree

: more limited in quantity

in less time

Less vs. Fewer: Usage Guide

The traditional view is that less applies to matters of degree, value, or amount and modifies collective nouns, mass nouns, or nouns denoting an abstract whole while fewer applies to matters of number and modifies plural nouns. Less has been used to modify plural nouns since the days of King Alfred and the usage, though roundly decried, appears to be increasing. Less is more likely than fewer to modify plural nouns when distances, sums of money, and a few fixed phrases are involved

less than 100 miles

an investment of less than $2000

in 25 words or less

and as likely as fewer to modify periods of time.

in less (or fewer) than four hours

less

2 of 5

adverb

comparative of little entry 2

: to a lesser extent or degree

less

3 of 5

noun

plural less

: a smaller portion or quantity

: something of less importance

less

4 of 5

preposition

: diminished by : minus

-less

5 of 5

adjective suffix

: destitute of : not having

witless

childless

: unable to be acted on or to act (in a specified way)

dauntless

fadeless

Phrases

no less

—used to emphasize that something is regarded as impressive or surprising

wants to be driven to the airport, in a limousine no less

less and less

: to a progressively smaller size or extent

less than

: by no means : not at all

less than honest in his replies

Examples of less in a Sentence

Adjective We need less talk and more work! She finished in less time than I did. Less detail is sometimes better than more detail. 8 times 2 is less than 6 times 3. We made it there in less than six hours. The whole procedure takes less than five minutes. The illness affects less than one percent of the population. Adverb This test seemed much less difficult than the last one. Which test is the less difficult of the two? Do you have another one that's less expensive? She visits much less often than she used to. They're focusing more on quality and less on quantity. Their band is less concerned with making music than with making money. Preposition We earned two hundred dollars, less travel expenses. Adjective suffix my first painless day since leaving the hospital

Recent Examples on the Web

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

One event that will carry on as initially planned: the Sundance Film Festival, which is readying to unspool its 2025 edition in Park City, Utah in less than two weeks. —

Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 13 Jan. 2025 The album reportedly sold less than 1,000 copies within its first week, with a collective download count of 6,000 across its 12-song track list. —

Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 13 Jan. 2025

Adverb

The long-term effects of wildfire smoke are less understood, as the rise in wildfire frequency linked to climate change is a relatively recent phenomenon. —

Amanda Castro, Newsweek, 14 Jan. 2025 Norms about passion and authenticity compel many creators to conceal the less dazzling aspects of their careers behind the screens. —

Brooke Erin Duffy, Forbes, 14 Jan. 2025

Noun

Jobless and benefit-less: What should COVID-19's economic victims do for health insurance? —

Shefali Luthra, Phil Galewitz and Rachel Bluth, USA TODAY, 3 Apr. 2020 Hassett warned that March job lesses could be among the worst on record. —

Kathryn Watson, CBS News, 20 Mar. 2020

Preposition

Get ready for a lot less facial hair on your television. —

Megan Friedman, Country Living, 17 Nov. 2016 See all Example Sentences for less

Word History

Etymology

Adjective, Adverb, Noun, and Preposition

Middle English, partly from Old English lǣs, adverb & noun; partly from lǣssa, adjective; akin to Old Frisian lēs less

Adjective suffix

Middle English -les, -lesse, from Old English -lēas, from lēas devoid, false; akin to Old High German lōs loose, Old English losian to get lost — more at lose

First Known Use

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adverb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Preposition

1623, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of less was before the 12th century

See more words from the same century

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Less.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/less. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.

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Kids Definition

less

1 of 5 adjective

ˈles

: being a smaller number : fewer

8 times 2 is less than 6 times 3

less than six hours

: of lower rank, degree, or importance

no less a person than the president

: not so much : being a smaller amount

we need less talk and more work

finished in less time

less

2 of 5 adverb

: not so much or so well

less difficult

liked the second book less

less

3 of 5 preposition

: minus entry 1 sense 1

the regular price less a discount

less

4 of 5 noun

plural less

: a smaller number or amount

we have less than before

: something that is poorer or less important than another

could be arrested for less

-less

5 of 5 adjective suffix

ləs

: not having

childless

: not able to be acted on or to act in a specified way

ceaseless

Etymology

Adjective suffix

Old English -lēas (suffix) "not having," from lēas "false"

Medical Definition

less, lesser

comparative of little

Last Updated: 16 Jan 2025 - Updated example sentences

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less

adjective

adverb

noun

preposition

adjective suffix

Synonyms

Examples of less in a Sentence

Word History

Dictionary Entries Near less

Cite this Entry

Kids Definition

Medical Definition