less

/lɛs/

smaller in amount or degree

She drank less coffee today than yesterday.

She consumed a smaller amount of coffee today.

general

a smaller amount or degree of something

He has less patience with children than with adults.

He is less tolerant when dealing with children.

Often used to compare quantities or qualities.

general

not as much as before

The traffic is less heavy today.

There are fewer cars on the road today.

Used to indicate a reduction in quantity or intensity.

Collocations

less thana smaller amount or degreeno less thanexactly or precisely

simplicity is more effective than complexity

Use 'less' for uncountable nouns (e.g., less water) and 'fewer' for countable nouns (e.g., fewer people).

'Less' is the comparative form of 'little' and is used for uncountable nouns.

From Middle English 'les', from Old English 'lǣss', from Proto-Germanic 'laisiz'.

Can be used as an adjective, adverb, or determiner. In formal contexts, 'fewer' is preferred for countable nouns.

less

smaller in amount or degree

root

English Dictionary