adj
less
lehs
adj
1
Smaller in amount, degree, or quantity; not as much.
"She earns less money than her brother."
"I'd like less sugar in my coffee, please."
prep
1
Minus; with a certain amount taken away.
"The final price is the list price less any discounts."
How to Use Less
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA smaller amount of something — the opposite of "more."
Common mistake
Use "less" for uncountable things (less water, less time) and "fewer" for countable things (fewer cars, fewer people). Mixing them up ("less cars") is a very common error.
Easily confused with
fewer
least →
Common pairings
less than
more or less
no less
Word Forms
lessed past tense, lesses singular
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She earns _____ money than her brother.
Etymology
From Old English laessa, "smaller, fewer," a very old Germanic word unrelated to "little" or "least" in origin.